It's the big day of finals and you're experiencing some anxiety. You walk into class and feel like your heart is about to jump out of your chest. This is a normal response to anxiety by the body known as sinus tachycardia. The heart is like a pump and you need to take care of it so that it works properly. The heart has its own rhythm and on an electrocardiogram (ECG) it should have a synchronous pattern called a sine. Normal sinus rhythm should be around 60-100 beats per minute (LeMone, Burke & Bauldoff, 2011). There are many factors that can change the heart rate and rhythm. When you sleep, your heart rate tends to be slower and should be slower due to the decreased workload on your heart. Something as simple as excitement or exercise can cause an increase in heart rate, and this is due to signals sent to the heart telling it to beat faster to supply the body with more blood and oxygen. The heart can beat more than 100 beats per minute at rest, even in the supine position, so it is important to evaluate for symptoms of any complications (Olhansky & Sullivan, 2013). A normal rhythm, but faster than 100 beats per minute, is called sinus tachycardia (LeMone et al., 2011). Sinus tachycardia can be caused by several factors within the body, including stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system or a blocked parasympathetic system. The autonomic nervous system that controls the heart originates in the medulla oblongata. The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous symptoms and slows the heart. When this blockage of nerve stimulation occurs, the heart cannot slow down (Jevon, 2010). The sinoatrial or (SA) node in the heart regulates the rhythm. In sinus tachycardia, signals are sent rapidly to the atria which in tu...... half of document......RG/Conditions/Arrhythmia/AboutArrhythmia/Tachycardia-Fast-Heart-Rate_UCM_302018_Article.jspHeart Rhythm Society (nd ) . Heart diseases and disorders. Retrieved from http://www.hrsonline.org/Patient-Resources/Heart-Diseases-Disorders#axzz2rryaqK3fJevon, P. (2010, January 22). How to ensure that patient observations lead to effective management of tachycardia. Retrieved from http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinical-zones/cardiology/how-to-ensure-patient-observations-lead-to-effective-management-of-tachycardia-/5010727.articleLeMone, P ., Burke, K., & Bauldoff, G. (2011). Medical-surgical nursing: Critical thinking in patient care (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Olshansky, B., & Sullivan, R. M. (2013). Inappropriate sinus tachycardia. Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), 61(8), 793-801. doi:10.1016/j.jacc. 2012.07.074