Nurse educators' expectations, training, and assessments of electrocardiogram interpretation among Australian acute care nurses: a national survey

AIMS: To explore nurse educators' expectations, training, and assessments of electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation among nurses in Australian acute care settings. METHODS: A national cross-sectional multi-method online survey was conducted from March to June 2024. A researcher-developed survey was used containing 38 questions across four sections with a final open-ended question. Descriptive analysis was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 230 participants responded to the survey and 132 were included in the final data analysis. Approximately 96% of the participants had high expectations on nurses' competency in ECG interpretation; however, appropriately 50% of the participants perceived nurses as being comfortable with caring for cardiac-monitored patients, and only 28% perceived nurses considering ECG interpretation as their job. Variability in ECG interpretation training, delivery modes, and assessments has been reported. The most common training program was online courses/modules/packages; however interestingly, the most common training format was face-to-face practical training. Just over 50% of the participants reported that nurses' competency in ECG interpretation assessment was undertaken in their hospitals, with the most common tools being self-developed. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse educators held high expectations of nurses' competency in ECG interpretation; however, they perceived nurses' competency in this area as needing improvement. The heterogeneity of training programs, methods, and assessments can result in significant discrepancies in skill levels. Hence, there is a strong need to develop a high-quality, standardised training program, a validated and standardised assessment tool, and a credible program standard.