The more you know...

[EMSrush]

I have always prided myself on being pretty good with EKG's, especially in the beginning- it has always fascinated me. Then, as I began to understand more information about the axis and different leads, I feel like I didn't know as much as I thought I did. It was quite a reality check. So I bought more books, and learned more. I did more research, asked more questions, and ended up becoming even more confused.

There is a LOT of conflicting information online about EKG interpretation and of course, in the field where everyone has their own methods. Even a simple discussion at work a few days ago regarding Wide Complex Tachs and Aberrancy turned a bit messy, and left me shaking my head. I feel like I'm sinking in a dark hole and even worse, I'm starting to lose confidence in a subject that I actually used to enjoy! Am I the only one who has felt this way? Is it just "growing pains"?

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[cruiseforever]

When you start losing that feeling. Thats the time to be concerned. It is good to be humbled every now and then. One of the best examples is when you can place a large bore IV in a critical pt. and in the next pt. with hoses for veins you cannot get one.

 

[abckidsmom]

It happens all the time. I have to teach the Krebs cycle to high schoolers tomorrow, and it seems that I've learned enough to know all that their book is leaving out now, and I can't figure out how to skim.

An important thing about feeling humbled by your lack of knowledge on a topic is to use it to spur your further study, and to remember that humble confidence really does exist. Don't overdo the humility, but at the same time, don't worry about competing with the people who are completely sure. Not that anything's a competition, but losing that feeling of competitiveness makes for easier sleep.

 

[EMSrush]

Cruise- thank you. I hope you're right. I smiled when I read what you wrote about missing seemingly "easy" veins; I wish I learned sooner that it really does happen to the best of us.

ABCKidsmom- I don't compete, but I do COMPARE myself a lot, which I guess could be a close relative of competing... lol. I think I should take a break from EKG's for a while. I actually had a dream about the heart and its electrical conduction last night. Now that's just creepy....

 

[Smash]

I'm glad that you know that you don't know enough. People who don't know how much they don't know scare me. However, try to keep a little perspective on ECGs: Electrophysiology is something you can devote an entire career to studying and still not know it all. So the trick is to work out what you absolutely need to know and get that well bedded in. Then you can start working on the subtleties. I enjoy poring over ECGs too, but I recognise that I will never be a Steve Smith or a Tom B, and I'm ok with that.