Nursing-Based Dysrhythmia Detection on a Dedicated Stroke Unit Using a Unit-Based Cardiac Telemetry Monitoring
Cheryl Jastrzebski1, Erika Hernandez, Susan Nadis
1Cheryl Jastrzebski, MSN, RN, CNRN, CMSRN Stroke Program Coordinator, MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn, Illinois. Erika Hernandez, BSN, RN, CVRN, CMSRN Cardiovascular Coordinator, MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn, Illinois. Susan Nadis, MD Neurologist, MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn, Illinois. Robert Lichtenberg, MD Cardiologist, MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn, Illinois.
The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
|December 10, 2015
Summary
Bedside nurses effectively identified 96% of significant cardiac dysrhythmias in acute stroke patients using a unit-based monitoring system. This nursing-led approach improved patient outcomes by detecting critical conditions like atrial fibrillation.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Nursing Science
Background:
- Acute stroke care mandates cardiac rhythm monitoring within 24 hours.
- Nursing plays a critical role in monitoring, data review, and response.
- Effective dysrhythmia detection is vital for managing stroke complications and guiding therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a unit-based cardiac monitoring system managed by bedside nurses.
- To determine if nurses could accurately detect clinically significant dysrhythmias in acute stroke patients.
Main Methods:
- Nurses underwent mandatory education on dysrhythmia identification and monitoring equipment use.
- Nurses were primarily responsible for alarm management and patient data review.
- Findings were validated by a cardiology team; 300 patients were studied.
Main Results:
- Nurses detected 96% of all significant dysrhythmias.
- Twenty-eight percent of stroke patients exhibited dysrhythmias, with 79% being atrial fibrillation/flutter.
- All 8 new cases of atrial fibrillation were identified by bedside nurses.
Conclusions:
- Nurses, with specialized education, can effectively utilize unit-based cardiac monitoring systems.
- This nursing-led monitoring strategy shows potential for improving acute stroke patient outcomes.
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