The New CAAHEP-Approved Cardiac Electrophysiology Program at Lancaster General College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Recruitment and retention of qualified staff continues to be a challenge faced by electrophysiology labs everywhere. Described here is the educational EP program at Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences, the first CAAHEP-accredited EP program in the nation. Lancaster General Health is a not-for-profit organization comprised of over 19 entities, including the Lancaster General Hospital and the Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences.

Background

   In 2003, the Electrophysiology (EP) Department at Lancaster General Hospital was faced with a severe shortage of trained and competent electrophysiology technologists to staff their four-room EP lab. As staff gained knowledge and skills in electrophysiology, they were actively recruited by industry, leaving behind a skeleton crew of knowledgeable staff.    To address these challenges, an electrophysiology internship was designed to produce qualified, educated EP staff in one year. In the six years since its existence, the EP internship has produced 17 well-qualified EP technologists. In 2010, the cardiac EP internship was transformed into a formal educational program and presented by the Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences to the Joint Review Committee for Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT) and the Commission on Accreditation for Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The CAAHEP awarded accreditation of the program in February 2010, making the Lancaster General College program the first accredited cardiac electrophysiology program in the United States.    Concurrent with the pursuit of CAAHEP/JRC-CVT accreditation, the program proposal was also submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for review. In April 2010, the PDE granted the Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences the authority to offer an Associate Degree in Applied Science as well as an Academic Certificate in Cardiac Electrophysiology.

About the Program

   In addition to myself, three LGH EP staff and one physician will be teaching classes: John Minnich, RCES, CEPS; Nikki Stern, ST, RCES, and Dave Sechler, BA, RN, RCES. They are all excellent both clinically and in the classroom, and have a combined 30 years of EP experience. Dr. Jerry Luck will teach some of the advanced ECG interpretation classes as well.    The classes and labs will include an introduction to EP procedures, mechanisms of arrhythmias, general and EP pharmacology, wound closure, advanced 12-lead ECG interpretation, and vector cardiography. Clinical rotations will have the student operating the EP recording equipment, EP stimulator, pacemaker programmers, radiofrequency ablation systems, and scrubbing in to assist the physicians in diagnostic and interventional EP studies and cardiac device implants.    Each of the semesters is designed so that the student can apply classroom theory and knowledge in the clinical setting. The first 15-week semester is two days of classroom/lab time and two days of clinical. The second 15-week semester is 1 class day and 3 clinical days. The final 12-week semester is a 4-day clinical internship.    The program is designed as a two-year program leading to an Associate Degree. For candidates who have already earned a degree, the 14-month Academic Certificate may be an option. Upon completion of the program, students pursuing the Associate Degree will have completed 285 hours of classroom and lab and 840 hours of clinical education specific to cardiac electrophysiology, as well as 27 credits in general education. Graduates are eligible to take the RCES credential examination.    The CEP program is now actively recruiting students for both programs, and will accept 4-5 candidates for each. The Summer II semester certificate program begins June 28; the Fall Semester AAS program begins August 21. Enrollment is now open; however, there are requirements, such as a background check and physical examination that must be satisfied prior to admission.    The limiting factor for enrollment is the lack of appropriate clinical sites. It is vitally important that clinical sites have both the correct mix and volume of cases, as well as experienced staff that can help educate these students. Two excellent clinical sites — Lancaster General Hospital and Penn State Hershey Medical Center — have been identified and are willing to accept students. The CEP Advisory Board, comprised of clinical staff, physicians, educators, and industry representatives, will assist the program coordinator in determining how to best meet the educational needs of the students at these clinical rotation sites.    The Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences currently enrolls just under 1,000 students, and recently added classroom and office space at its downtown location to accommodate the increase in enrollment. The College offers several baccalaureate degrees including: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN), Bachelor of Science in Health Science (BSHS), and a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration (BSHA). In addition to the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Cardiac Electrophysiology (CEP), the College offers Associate Degree programs in Cardiovascular Invasive Specialty (CIS), Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS), Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT), Radiography (RAD), Respiratory Care (RC), and Surgical Technology (ST). The College also offers an Associate in Science in Nursing. Academic certificates include: Medical Laboratory Science (MLS), CIS, DMS, NMT, and ST. For more information on the programs offered at Lancaster General College, please visit www.lancastergeneralcollege.edu or contact Lyn Longenecker, Director of Admissions, at Jllongen@lancastergeneralcollege.edu or 717-544-5711.