Allied Professional Roles in the Management of Arrhythmias in the Young

Effective teamwork in pediatric electrophysiology (EP) is the key to providing high quality and patient-focused care. Individuals function optimally when they work as part of a high functioning team which encompasses respect, communication, trust, collaboration, and fosters creativity among the team members. During the past several decades the care of children and adolescents with arrhythmias has significantly improved. These advances are largely technological, including catheter ablation as first-line therapy for many childhood arrhythmias as well as the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, often genetically mediated or occurring in adolescents and young adults who have survived complex congenital heart surgery. The complex technologies involved in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric arrhythmias necessitates a multidisciplinary approach and a skilled, knowledgeable electrophysiology team. Effective, competent allied professionals are essential to the function of the EP team. The many different roles of allied professional team include EP technicians, nurses, and advance practice nurses.