Telemetry Nurse Requirements

Becoming a telemetry nurse is an opportunity to make a big difference in the lives of your patients. Telemetry nurses provide direct observation of patients who require constant heart monitoring for a range of reasons including chest pain, congestive heart failure, recent surgery, atrial fibrillation, heart attack, and more.

You can become a telemetry nurse in many hospitals as soon as you have passed the NCLEX exam and become a registered nurse. You will need to learn how to use an electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG) machine to monitor a patient's heart and interpret heart rhythms and breath sounds from patients. You will also need advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) training.

Telemetry Nursing Skills

Telemetry nurses should be comfortable with technology and medical equipment, in addition to traditional nursing duties. Having excellent assessment skills and the ability to react quickly and appropriately are primary job skills.

Strong communication skills are valuable to a telemetry nurse in creating care plans and working to educate patients and families about cardiac health. Time management is another necessary area of competence to succeed in a telemetry unit.

One way to demonstrate your specialized training as a telemetry nurse is through certification. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) offers two different critical care/progressive care certifications for nurses who have spent at least 1,750 direct bedside care practice hours working with acutely or critically ill patients. Additionally, they have a certification designed for nurses who remotely monitor adult patients in tele-ICUs.

The American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine also grants board certifications in cardiovascular telemetry nursing. 

Read More About Telemetry Travel Nursing Salary and Requirements from the link below.