Assessing the Level of Electrocardiographic Interpretation Competency among Emergency Nurses in Palestine

Abstract

Introduction The use of electrocardiograms (ECGs) is widespread among emergency room (ER) nurses for diagnosis and triage, making it crucial for them to have the appropriate level of competency in interpreting ECGs. This can lead to better healthcare and patient outcomes. Objectives This study aims to assess the competency level of emergency nurses in Palestine in interpreting normal ECG and certain cardiac arrhythmias, and to explore the association between socio-demographic characteristics and their ECG interpretation competency. Methods The study used a cross-sectional descriptive design, and 196 ER nurses were conveniently recruited to fill out a self-administered questionnaire based on previous literature. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS with strict adherence to ethical considerations. Results The results showed that 70.9% of the nurses were males, 65.3% held a bachelor's degree in nursing, 46.9% had 1–5 years of experience, and 60.7% had received previous courses on ECG interpretation. The mean competency level of the ER nurses was satisfactory at 60.714%, but 38.8% had a poor level of competency. This was significantly higher among nurses with higher educational levels ( p-value < 0.001), those who had taken previous ECG courses ( p-value = 0.045) and life support ( p-value < 0.05), and those who were exposed to more ECG interpretations per day ( p-value = 0.001). Conclusion There is a need to focus more on ECG competency levels in Palestinian literature and compare them between different departments. It is also essential to evaluate nurses’ needs for continuous education.