Usually, in a cardiac telemetry unit, a trained nurse will apply a variety of sensors to the body such as: Blood pressure cuff on the arm to frequently monitor blood pressure Oxygen monitor (pulse oximeter) on the finger to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood EKG (electrocardiogram, or ECG) leads on the chest to monitor heart rate and rhythm The blood pressure cuff will inflate periodically, and the other leads will transmit data silently to a monitor in both the patients and the telemetry nurse’s room. It’s important to note that a cardiac telemetry unit is very much like any other hospital department. Patients will also be attached to an intravenous (IV) support and receive the same level of nursing care as people in other departments.