Senior citizens undergoing CABG are at great risk for developing the comorbid complication of atrial fibrillation shortly following surgery. Approximately 85% of the elderly are affected by atrial fibrillation and this number is expected to increase over the next 20 years, due to increased population of older individuals. In order to prevent additional complications, which arise from atrial fibrillation and extended hospital admissions, this arrhythmia needs prompt recognition and treatment. The purpose of this project was to develop a learning module to promote the understanding of the pathology and the appropriate treatment of atrial fibrillation (both nursing and medical) for intensive care nursing staff (RN’s, LPN’s, nursing students). A case study of an elderly gentleman experiencing atrial fibrillation following a CABG and valve replacement was used to provide the vehicle for instruction of the pathology and treatment of atrial fibrillation. The pathology and treatment information was derived from an extensive literature review within PubMed, Medline, and Cinahl. The methods of the literature review, as well as the results of the review for the pathology, medical treatment, and nursing interventions will be included in the presentation. The use of a case study learning module has the potential to assist nursing staff in their identification of atrial fibrillation and increase their understanding of the prompt medical treatment and nursing interventions required following atrial fibrillation recognition. Future research is needed to examine whether such a learning module can have a direct impact on the effectiveness of patient care. Specifically, a study is needed to examine whether the module can decrease the time between the onset of atrial fibrillation and nursing staff identification. Furthermore, research is needed to examine whether this learning module can decrease the time between the identification of atrial fibrillation and patient rhythm stabilization through adequate and prompt treatment.
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