We have several new questions this month! Please take a look and let me know if you can help with the following topics: 1) job description for an RCIS in the EP lab, 2) data collection and quality assurance in the EP lab, 3) anesthesia utilization, and 4) recycling platinum tips. If you would like to respond, please email us at eplabdigest@hotmail.com or go to www.eplabdigest.com and click on the email discussion group link. Remember, when posting or responding to the discussion group, please let me know if you would like your name, location, and/or email address listed as well — that way you will get more instant results! We hope to hear from you soon!

New Questions:

Job Description: RCIS in EP Lab
I'm presently a member of a dedicated EP team with a job description for our Cardiac Cath Lab. Does any lab presently have a job description for an RCIS in the EP lab? I would appreciate any input. Thanks!
— Christine J. Reoch, RCIS, St. Mary's Hospital, Richmond, Virginia
(Readers, to reply to this question, please type “RCIS in the EP Lab” in your subject line.)

Quality Assurance
We are a new site located in Western Maryland and have started an EP Program. We are in the infant stages of our program. I am the Quality Assurance Nurse and am wondering if there is any official EP Registry out there for data collection and QA. I am also wondering what benchmarking statistics are out there for comparison with other EP labs. I am also wondering what adverse outcomes are being collected for the EP labs and other data collection areas that EP labs are collecting internally for their program. I cannot seem to find any of this information by searching the web, so I thought maybe I should go straight to the facilities that have this program. Thank you very much for any information.
— Pamela A. Hetrick, RN, Cardiac Data Analyst, Western Maryland Health System, Cumberland, Maryland
(Readers, to reply to this question, please type “Quality Assurance” in your subject line.)

Anesthesia Utilization
Can anyone supply information regarding anesthesia utilization? We are currently reviewing our usage and looking for ways to improve coverage. I am looking for feedback regarding: types of cases in which anesthesia is present, length of anesthesia presence during cases, pre-procedure work-up, and outpatient PAT process.
— Shawn Heffernan, RN, Clinical Coordinator, Electrophysiology Department, Lankenau Hospital 
(Readers, to reply to this question, please type “Anesthesia Utilization” in your subject line.)

Recycling Platinum Tips
I am a new Nurse Manager to the Cath/EP lab, and one of my staff brought to my attention that we could possibly recycle the platinum tips off of the catheters and get some money back for our hospital. Does anyone know anything about this, as far as who do you send them to, as well as the steps involved in doing it? Thanks for any help that you can give me.
— Brad Massey, Nurse Manager, Little Rock VA Hospital, Arkansas
(Readers, to reply to this question, please type “Recycling Platinum Tips” in your subject line.)