CLINICAL EVENTS CALENDAR
- Monday, September 13, 2010 - 23:00CEPIA Introduction to Cardiac Electrophysiologyhttp://www.cepia.com.au
- Friday, September 17, 2010 - 00:0016th Annual SASEAP Workshop for EP Allied Professionalshttp://www.saseap.org
- Monday, September 20, 2010 - 23:00Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2010http://www.tctmd.com
- Friday, September 24, 2010 - 00:00VI International Symposium on Interventional Electrophysiology in the Management of Cardiac Arrhythmias
EP Nursing Blog
Effective Communication in the EP Lab Setting
Good communication skills are the ability of a person to communicate with the other in an effective manner. The electrophysiology lab requires effective communication among several disciplines and departments in order to run efficiently. Factors identified that are affected by communication include: patient care; procedural flow/scheduling; physician and employee satisfaction; interdepartmental relations; and patient outcomes. Within this blog I will describe the connection of communication and the several factors that are affected.
Patient Care:
It is imperative that all members of a specific EP lab communicate in order to provide exceptional care for the patient. The communication needs to involve each member of the team, equipment involved and physician. If anything is missed with this process, it could prove to be detrimental to the patient outcome.
Example: Communication of Heparin Administration.
International Allied Professionals in EP: Cardiac Clinical Technologists in South Africa
This is part of a series to profile our colleagues from around the world to learn about their role, education and efforts to improve professional practice in EP.
In the land of tribal mystique mixed with growing modernization, South Africa's public healthcare system serves about 80% of the sub-Saharan Africa’s 840 million, while a small but lucrative private sector caters to the mid- to high-income earners and the ever-popular medical tourism industry.
The Importance of Magnet Status and Nursing
Blog by: Melanie T. Gura, RN, MSN, CNS, CCDS, FHRS, FAHA and Jane A. Soposky, RN, MSN, NEA-BC , Administrative Director, Patient Care Services, Summa Health Systems, St. Thomas Hospital
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) developed the national Magnet Hospital Recognition Program® in 1980.[1] Hospitals that receive a magnet designation are referred to as “Magnet Hospital.” It is the highest honor a hospital can receive for its nursing service. The purpose of magnet status is to recognize healthcare organizations that provide excellence in nursing, growth and development of the nursing staff, and an environment that supports professional nursing practice.
Taking Care of Business in the EP Lab
With the economic downturn and ever-increasing costs for delivering quality health care, can EP services survive and be economically viable? The answer is a qualified "YES"! However, doing so means careful attention to many details and quite a bit of education.
In this brief blog, I will highlight the three most important tools to achieve this goal:
1.) A well-designed procedure report. Creating a template that contains all pertinent information related to the procedure reduces the chance of errors in coding and billing. Some of the important information that you should consider including is: the ICD-9 diagnosis code(s), a list of procedures performed with their respective CPT codes, a complete list of catheters, guides and sheaths used in the procedure and any other diagnostic tools, e.g. intracardiac echo.
International Allied Professionals in EP: Cardiac Physiologists in the UK
Blog by: Christine C. Chiu, MSc, CCDS, CEPS, FHRS, and Joel Archbald, BAppSciHMS, CEPS
This is the first of a series to profile our colleagues from around the world to learn about their role, work setting, education and their efforts to improve professional practice in EP.
Patient Advocacy: Empowering Your Patient Via the Web
Many of our patients search for health information on the Internet yearly. Whether health information is needed for personal reasons or for a loved one, our patients on a daily basis view health-related web pages. Information may be found easily or may result in frustration or retrieval of inaccurate, even precarious information. As nurses and allied professionals, we can guide our patients in the appropriate direction, thus facilitating the best possible outcome for our patients.
The electrophysiology arena will continue to experience astounding advances and changes in methods of treatment and care delivery processes. In order to deliver optimal care and have patients comply with our treatment protocol, we must empower our patients. An informed patient can work as a partner with us ensuring the delivery of optimal care.
Do Atrial Fibrillation Education Centers Improve Patient Outcomes?
Management of atrial fibrillation involves a complex set of diagnostic tests, medication regimes, and in many cases, treatment with devices or cardiac ablation. At the Venice Arrhythmia conference in October 2009, I had the opportunity to facilitate a session that asked the question above. Nurses from AFib programs around the world agreed unanimously that patients had improved outcomes if their care was managed by dedicated nurses.
There is nothing “typical” about the average ablation patient – they range from young to older, with symptoms as mild as a sense of lightheadedness to severe, such as losing consciousness or having a stroke. In any phase of their treatment – from early diagnosis through procedures such as ablation – the registered nurse plays a major role in helping the patient understand the condition and its symptoms, and in monitoring the patient’s condition.
More Than Just a Job? Becoming Certified in Electrophysiology
Our job…
Allied professionals play an enormously vital role in the delivery of quality patient care in heart rhythm management. There is no doubt that that our work in electrophysiology (EP) such as the EP lab or device clinic is constantly evolving. There are increasingly complex and specialized technological innovations that are applied to patient management and everyday practice. We prepare our patients for catheter ablation or device implant procedures, set up the EP lab and equipment, operate the 3D mapping system, troubleshoot device programming problems, optimize the device parameters to meet the patient’s needs, and educate our patients and our colleagues. Our workdays are busy, long and often challenging. That’s our job.
Is it more than just a job?
Defining the Value of Belonging to a Professional Society
How many times have you been told, "Join a professional society, the benefits are great." However, how many of you have declined the offer? Or did you join, but fail to participate?
Our professional societies are a wellspring for professional development. They are a forum for us to acquire timely knowledge, improve our clinical skills, build strong professional relationships and give us access to experts in our field. They are our professional leaders for education, research promotion, practice guidelines, and healthcare policies. All of these benefits translate into the delivery of high quality patient care.
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