Staff nurses exhibited a significantly higher mean knowledge score regarding Holter monitoring systems compared to nursing students (16.4 vs 11.8, MD 4.6), though both groups showed notable knowledge deficits.
Cross-Sectional (n=150)
No
While staff nurses have significantly better knowledge of Holter monitoring than nursing students, both groups show profound deficits, highlighting the need for dedicated ambulatory telemetry modules in nursing curricula.
Mean Difference: 4.6 (95% CI 3.62–5.58)
Absolute Event Rate: 16.4% vs 11.8%
p-value: p=<0.001
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, necessitating precise diagnostic interventions. Ambulatory electrocardiography, specifically Holter monitoring, serves as a cornerstone for detecting transient cardiac arrhythmias, silent myocardial ischemia, and evaluating anti-arrhythmic therapies over prolonged periods. Staff nurses and nursing students are directly responsible for patient preparation, device initialization, lead placement, and patient education. Inadequate proficiency in managing these systems frequently compromises data validity, introducing artifacts and reducing patient compliance. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the baseline knowledge levels regarding the importance, technical application, troubleshooting, and patient instruction requirements of Holter monitoring systems among staff nurses and final-year nursing students. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional design was executed. A sample of 150 participants was recruited via purposive sampling, evenly split between registered staff nurses (n = 75) working in critical/cardiac care areas and final-year nursing students (n = 75) from a selected tertiary care hospital and affiliated nursing college in Bengaluru, India. Data were collected using a validated 25-item Structured Knowledge Questionnaire covering key domains of Holter monitoring. Analysis was conducted via descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 26.0. The overall findings indicated that 48% of the total participants possessed moderate knowledge, 34% had inadequate knowledge, and only 18% demonstrated adequate knowledge. Staff nurses exhibited a significantly higher mean knowledge score of 16.4 (SD 3.2) compared to nursing students who scored 11.8 (SD 2.9), validated by an independent t-test (95% CI 3.62, 5.58; t = 9.21, df = 148, p < 0.001). Notable systemic knowledge deficits were observed in both groups regarding skin preparation, artifact troubleshooting, and patient diary documentation rules. While clinical exposure provides staff nurses with an advantage, a profound deficit in comprehensive knowledge persists across both cohorts. Integrating dedicated ambulatory telemetry modules into nursing curricula and mandatory clinical workshops for staff is critical to optimizing diagnostic accuracy in cardiovascular care. Keywords: Staff Nurses; Holter Monitoring; Ambulatory ECG; Nursing Education; Nursing Students; Clinical Competence.
B et al. (Sat,) conducted a cross-sectional in Nursing competency regarding Holter monitoring systems (n=150). Staff nurse status vs. Final-year nursing student status was evaluated on Mean knowledge score on a 25-item Structured Knowledge Questionnaire (MD 4.6, 95% CI 3.62-5.58, p=<0.001). Staff nurses exhibited a significantly higher mean knowledge score regarding Holter monitoring systems compared to nursing students (16.4 vs 11.8, MD 4.6), though both groups showed notable knowledge deficits.