Accuracy of Cardiac Rhythm Interpretation by Medical–Surgical Nurses

In Brief Nurses care for increasing numbers of patients requiring cardiac monitoring. Ability to identify cardiac rhythms is a key element in nurses’ ability to promote patient safety. A quasi-experimental pilot study using a stratified random sample of 32 medical–surgical nurses examined accuracy of cardiac rhythm interpretation. Findings showed a statistically significant disparity in performance between registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses. These findings suggest a need to improve staff development in the area of cardiac rhythm interpretation. In this pilot study, the authors examine the accuracy of cardiac rhythm interpretation among registered and licensed vocational nurses.