Nurses at The Center for Atrial Fibrillation work closely with electrophysiologists from the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center (TCAI), providing patient education and follow-up phone consultation. Throughout the treatment continuum, nurses assure that patients are knowledgeable partners in their care. They are also available to consult with persons who have general questions regarding cardiac arrhythmia, but who have not yet sought treatment.

The moment a physician at TCAI schedules a patient for an ablation, nurses from the Center for Arrhythmias and Atrial Fibrillation step in to provide the educational component of care. Patients are encouraged to ask questions and to call the Center when they arrive home, should additional concerns arise.

Following the ablation, a nurse from the Center for Atrial Fibrillation visits the patient while in the hospital, providing post-procedure education. When returning home, patients are encouraged to stay in close contact with the Center. Patients also use an Event Monitor to transmit their heart rhythm via phone line to The Center for Atrial Fibrillation, where nurses review it and share the data with the physician.