Accuracy of cardiac rhythm interpretation by medical-surgical nurses: a pilot study.

Nurses care for increasing numbers of patients requiring cardiac monitoring. Ability to identify cardiac rhythms is a key element in nurses' ability to promote patient safety. A quasi-experimental pilot study using a stratified random sample of 32 medical-surgical nurses examined accuracy of cardiac rhythm interpretation. Findings showed a statistically significant disparity in performance between registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses. These findings suggest a need to improve staff development in the area of cardiac rhythm interpretation.