ELECTROCARDIOGRAM INTERPRETATION IN THE PRACTICE OF PROFESSIONAL NURSES: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW
Keywords:
Nursing, Cardiogram, Knowledge, Cardiac ischemiaAbstract
INTRODUCTION: The assessment of cardiac electrical activity is an important indicator of heart functionality. The electrocardiogram currently used is the result of a series of technological advances and is considered the gold standard for the non-invasive diagnosis of arrhythmias and electrical conduction disorders. Epidemiological estimates reveal that cardiovascular diseases are among the main causes of death in Brazil, especially myocardial ischemia. OBJECTIVE: to verify in the available national literature the knowledge of nursing professionals in performing and interpreting the electrocardiogram. METHOD: integrative literature review. RESULTS and DISCUSSION: The electrocardiogram is a medical test that records the electrical activity of the heart, it is a non-invasive procedure most used in clinical practice to assist in the diagnosis of the patient, the rapid identification and interpretation of the alterations presented in the 12-lead electrocardiogram by the nurse allows the anticipation of potentially fatal events to patients. The nurse is the professional responsible for the entire process of patient care, for this reason, it is necessary not only to know the technique of performing the electrocardiogram but also the ability to previously identify damage to the patient's health, according to the literature the findings are satisfactory, however, it is necessary to invest in the training of these professionals because some studies have described that during graduation this subject was little addressed, Leading many students to look for alternatives, taking extra courses is one of the main problems because: the courses were minimally basic or extremely advanced, thus making it difficult to learn. CONCLUSION: Nurses' knowledge about this theme, although there is a certain amount of published material, is still little explored, some studies have shown unsatisfactory knowledge, others satisfactory. Given that investment and broad discussion on the subject are needed to better elucidate the issue.
