ACLS S.O.S.

Okay, I recently accepted an ER position and I am VERY nervous. I have three years of adult med/surg (ortho) experience, but rhythms/arrhythmias were NEVER my strength in nursing school. In an effort to be BETTER prepared for the basic arrythmias/ACLS/PALS courses I will have to take as part of my whopping three-week orientation period, I am trying to review the material. I purchased the AHA's Learn: Rhythm Adult online course and, well, it's still Greek to me. Once I finish my Master of Public Health degree in May 2011, I have no intention of remaining in nursing. Instead, I would like to transition to an administrative/managerial position within either domestic or global public health. So, is the stress worth it? Am I prematurely "wigging out"? Any input would be greatly appreciated! HELP!
Don't wig out. For ACLS you don't need to be an electrophysiologist, you just need to know: Too wide, Too fast, and Too slow. For the Bradycardia and Tachycardia algorithms, you just need to be able to figure out the rate. For V tach, V fib, and Torsades focus on the QRS complex and it's width. The wider the QRS the less efficiently the heart is pumping. Compare examples of each with similar but non-life threatening rhythms such as bundle branch blocks and paced rhythms until you can recognize the difference. Lastly, remember we treat the patient, not the rhythm.

ISBN # 978-087434-887-3 ECG Interpretation Made Incredibly Easy. Great book, can be found online for around $10 in great condition! check out half.com I work on a tele unit and found the book to be very helpful. One can even purchase pocket size guides

yes, you're flippin' out. When I first encountered strips, I freaked too. But all it takes is some time to read and someone (preferably a nice medical resident or an eager-to-teach attending physician) to help you around it. You'll be fine. P.S. I never wanted peds but I think it's great now. Try to get the "I don't want this" idea or the "this isn't my field" thought out of your head. It's very difficult to learn with barriers like those.

Thanks for starting this and for the great answers.I'll be almost in the same boat as I have that kind of orientation planned in August. I too like to know stuff in advance and stress about things that I later find out I shouldn't have. I also want to eventually go in the direction of a a master's in PH and then community ed. But as the one poster pointed out, I'm not looking at this like why this and this isn't for me. I'm actually really looking forward to the challenge, and I like the skills part of things like IV's haven't had enough yet though. My former instructor says that eventually once you learn the basics of arrythmias, they're fun to figure out, like little puzzles. Sounds cool, I hope she's right.There's a book I've read about on this site and others.. by Dale Dubin MD that's supposed a timeless classic that really explains things in simple language. The title is something like Rapid interpretation. Sorry, I suck at providing decent links. The only thing is I can't seem to locate it for less than 25-30.00...but I'm a book geek so if it's good I'll probably get it.Good luck! I'm sure you'll do great, you care enough in the beginning to plan ahead.

Putting my vote in for Dubin's Rapid Interpretation of EKGs. Simple and straight forward with none of the stuff you don't need to know.For ACLS be able to identify the life threatening rhythms and know which one's are shockable and which ones aren't.Some instructors make ACLS much, much harder than it needs to be. ACLS should be straight forward and simple. You'll do fine. Just take your time and interpret rhythm strips in a consistent, organized manner and you'll be surprised at how often you get them right. Good luck in the ER! It's frustrating but fun! Enjoy your time there, even though you'll be moving on before long.

free site for practice http://www.skillstat.com/learn.htm

jmolina23, YOU ARE SO RIGHT! I AM looking for reasons NOT to challenge myself, It's a fear of failure and/or being criticized for not "getting it" quickly enough. Thanks!

Too fast, too slow, not at all. Unstable i.e. chest pain, no bp, no pulse--> electricityStable as in got a pulse, talking to you--> drugs No rhythm? chest compressions, maybe pace, try some drugs, figure out the cause and fix it--> 5 Ts, 5 Hs