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It's also an area that continues to exhibit strong demand for healthcare travelers.

An occupation defined

"I like communicating with the individuals I'm treating. A lot of ICU patients may be unconscious or generally out of it, so there's little communication," says Leasa Garrett, RN, BSN, ACLS, BLS. She started traveling two years ago, primarily accepting assignments through Omaha, Neb.–based Aureus Medical Group. She recently arrived at Metropolitan Methodist Hospital in San Antonio.

Some nurses opt for progressive care because they have a love affair with the heart. Specifically, they are intrigued by its capabilities as well as what ails it. "When I was young, my father underwent triple bypass surgery, which was experimental in the early 1970s. Unfortunately, he died when I was still a child," explains Dorothy Campbell, RN, ACLS. "That experience stuck with me all this time, which is probably why I feel like cardiac care is a kindred spirit for me. Plus, I feel like I understand families' fears and uncertainties. I especially can relate with the children." Campbell has 20 years of nursing experience, including a year and a half as a traveler with RN Network, a supplemental staffing company located in Boca Raton, Fla. She's scheduled to wrap up her current contract at Cape Fear Valley Health System in Fayetteville, N.C., soon.

Not all telemetry units are strictly cardiac care. Some facilities mix in medical cases as well. Generally speaking, these patients fall below ICU criteria, but they are more critical than what's treated on medical/surgical floors. Sometimes, hospitals split telemetry units into two separate entities — one for cardiac cases and another for medical telemetry. What ties them together, though, is the abundance of monitoring.

It's true the nursing profession as a whole has become more technology-laden, but progressive care is particularly focused on machines that record various patient data. For example, individuals routinely are hooked up to electrocardiograms (ECG) that continually measure heart rates, blood/oxygen levels, breathing rates, and blood pressure. They also may receive medications or fluids through computer-controlled pumps. Clinicians must understand not only the equipments' functions, but also what the data means in terms of patients' health. Do the readings indicate a status quo, improvement, or decline that commands intervention?

"Obviously, you have to personally assess your patients, but the monitors can tell you why something is happening — why the patient is short of breath, experiencing chest pains, or tired and lethargic. If you understand what the numbers represent, you get a good picture to help diagnosis what's wrong and develop treatment plans," Garrett says.

"Telemetry nurses come to recognize a tachycardia rhythm at a glance," adds Campbell. "I've become more aware. I use what I see, hear, and feel in my assessments, in addition to interpreting telemetry strips."

As the equipment advances, more areas within hospitals rely on the devices. This parlays into unique opportunities for telemetry specialists. Clinicians can monitor situations remotely and pass on their assessments to colleagues who remain bedside.

"My current facility employs telemetry on just about every unit, including critical care and step-down floors," Garrett says.