med surg cardiac
The nurse is assessing vital signs in a patient with a permanent pacemaker. What should the nurse document about the pacemaker?
pacer rate
A client is diagnosed with a dysrhythmia at a rate slower than 60 beats/minute. What type of dysrhythmia does the client have?
sinus bradycardia
A nurse is performing discharge teaching with a client who has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placed. Which client statement indicates effective teaching?
"I'll keep a log of each time my ICD discharges."
The nurse is assigned the following client assignment on the clinical unit. For which client does the nurse anticipate cardioversion as a possible medical treatment?
A client with atrial dysrhythmias
The nurse is caring for a client who is displaying a third-degree AV block on the EKG monitor. What is the priority nursing intervention for the client?
Alert the healthcare provider of the third degree heart block
A patient with mitral valve stenosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) is in the telemetry unit with pneumonia. The nurse assesses a 6-second rhythm strip and determines that the ventricular rhythm is highly irregular at 88, with no discernible P waves. What does the nurse determine this rhythm to be?
Atrial flutter
Two clients in cardiac rehabilitation are discussing the differences between scheduled cardioversion and unexpected defibrillation. Which statement does the nurse note is not correct?
Cardioversion uses more electrical energy than defibrillation.
A nurse is caring for a client who has been admitted to have a cardioverter defibrillator implanted. The nurse knows that implanted cardioverter defibrillators are used in which clients?
Clients with recurrent life-threatening tachydysrhythmias
A nurse evaluates a client with a temporary pacemaker. The client's ECG tracing shows each P wave followed by the pacing spike. What is the nurse's best response?
Document the findings and continue to monitor the client
Which diagnostic study best evaluates different medications ability to restore normal heart rhythm?
Electrophysiology study
The nurse identifies which of the following as a potential cause of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs)?
Hypokalemia
A nursing instructor is reviewing the parts of an EKG strip with a group of students. One student asks about the names of all the EKG cardiac complex parts. Which of the following items are considered a part of the cardiac complex on an EKG strip? Choose all that apply
P wave P-R interval T wave
Undersensing occurs as a pacemaker malfunctions. The nurse understands undersensing occurs as a result of which event?
Pacing spike occurs at the preset level
A client with a history of mitral stenosis is admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with the abrupt onset of atrial fibrillation. The client's heart rate ranges from 120 to 140 bpm. The nurse recognizes that interventions are implemented to prevent the development of
embolic stroke.
