EP Lab Digest - May 2008 - (Page 36)

36 EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUP MAY 2008 EMAIL DISCUSSION Continued from page 34 do EP at the present time. We don’t implant in our labs. We do TEE, CV, and TTT. We have three rooms. Two are dedicated EP interventional labs. We have CARTO and ESI mapping systems and Prucka recording systems in both labs. I keep one late team per day; they are scheduled to deal with late cases. If a difficult case or more than one case goes over, I try to get volunteers. Most of my staff are accommodating, and I try to reciprocate during slow periods with whatever their time off needs are. Plans are to move to larger facilities in the next five years and to start doing implants in the EP arena here. That will require more staff and a re-thinking of staffing patterns. — Robin Morreale, RN, MSN, RCIS In our EP lab, we work 8-hour shifts with no weekends or holidays. We have always done this. We have three RNs and one RTR. There are times we have talked about doing 10-hour shifts, but coverage is always an issue. The problem with 8-hour shifts for us has been no replacement for someone who needs the day off or is sick. We are still trying to find the perfect solution, so we would be interested in hearing if anyone is doing anything creative. Thanks for asking. — Mary Hosler, BSN, RN Hands-on Training Are there any symposiums or classes available in the United States that provide hands-on EP training? — Heather Vardon, Aurora BayCare Medical Center, Green Bay, WI (To reply to this question, please type “Hands-on Training” in your subject line.) Refurbishing Costs How much does Ascent charge to refurbish an AcuNav catheter? — name withheld by request (To reply to this question, please type “Refurbishing Costs” in your subject line.) Pause on ECG I want to learn about indications of pacing in patients with ventricular pause more than three seconds according to evidencebased medicine. Is it logical or not to choose >3 seconds? — name withheld by request (To reply to this question, please type “Pause on ECG” in your subject line.) RCES Exam Have any readers taken the new RCES exam offered by CCI? What are your thoughts on the exam? Was the suggested reading list helpful in your exam preparation? Can you specify any resources to study from in addition to CCI's reading list? Do you have suggestions for preparing for the exam? Many thanks! — Toinette Trahan, RT(R) (To reply to this question, please type “RCES Exam” in your subject line.) Line Access and Cath Placement I would love any information supporting EP lab staff line access and cath placement. — anonymous (To reply to this question, please type “Line Access and Cath Placement” in your subject line.) Pocket Closure I am a registered nurse in a fairly new EP lab. The only procedures we currently do are EP studies and AICD/Bi-V AICDs. We have one electrophysiologist on staff. He requested that myself, an RN, and another staff member (an RCIS) learn how to close the pocket. He personally taught each of us how to suture the pocket closed. After approximately 10 months, hospital administration told us we were no longer allowed to perform this task, so we quit. Now, two months later, the RN is being formally reprimanded for working out of her "scope" of practice. Do rules about this vary from state to state, institution to institution, or is it just plain wrong for anyone besides the MD to close the pocket? — anonymous (To reply to this question, please type “Pocket Closure” in your subject line.) In our EP lab, we drafted a policy that was approved by the cardiologists/ electrophysiologist in our institution that EP lab staff once trained by the cardiologist/electrophysiologist could close skin only of the pacemaker pocket and not fascia. This is not mandatory for all staff in the EP lab, only those who desire to learn the skill. — Mary Hosler, BSN, RN Catheter Recycling I have a concern regarding recycling medical catheters. I have been sending catheters to a recycling company for about 10 years. I have always sent the catheter tips in an envelope provided by the company. I have always sent it through secure and insured mail. I have no way of knowing the value of the tips other than based upon the value of the last shipment. The insurance is only valid for the shipment; after it is signed for, the insurance is invalid. Recently, See EMAIL DISCUSSION page 38 How to join EP Lab Digest’s Email Discussion Group: • In each issue of EP Lab Digest, find a listing of the latest questions and responses from our readers. Then email your EP-related questions and/or responses to “eplabdigest@hotmail.com”. • You can also go to “www.eplabdigest.com” and click on the “Email Discussion” link. Here you can reply with your answers and/or ask new questions. • To find previous discussions on a specific topic, click on the “Archives” link on “www.eplabdigest.com”. Choose any issue from any year, and click on the email discussion section for that month. To search a particular topic, you can also click on the “Article Search” link. • Remember to inform us if you would like your name, location, and email address published, or if you prefer to be listed as “name withheld by request.” Your question or response could appear in an upcoming issue of EP Lab Digest! http://www.eplabdigest.com http://www.eplabdigest.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EP Lab Digest - May 2008

EP Lab Digest - May 2008 Is There an Under-Referral of Women for Atrial Fibrillation Ablation? A Hybrid Approach to the Cure of Atrial Fibrillation Contents Letter from the Editor Spotlight Interview: University of Michigan Health System 10-Minute Interview: Amit J. Shanker, MD Modular EP Units: Are They Possible? One Hospital’s Experience All About My Job: Technician Supervisor (New Column!) Alcohol Septal Ablation in the Cath Lab: What is it All About? About the Canadian Heart Rhythm Society: Interview with Martin J. Gardner, MD, FRCP(C), FACC Email Discussion Group: May 2008 Second Annual Salary Survey My First Year in Electrophysiology: What Have I Got Myself Into? Highlight on Technology: Video-Audio Integration for the EP Lab On the Horizon: A New Remote Catheter Manipulation System Striving for Excellence in the Care of Cardiac Patients Five Reasons to Participate with a Professional Organization Suspected Shunting of Defibrillation Energy in the EP Lab Can Digital Music Players Cause Interference with Implantable Devices? ECG 101: Ambulatory ECG Monitoring Events Calendar Industry News and Products Classifieds Advertisers Index

EP Lab Digest - May 2008

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