Electrophysiology nurse received prestigious award for 40-year career

Peggy Cassidy, BN, has seen a lot of change during her more than 40 years working in cardiology. 

Cassidy, a mother of three and grandmother of two, was drawn to the field of cardiology while a nursing student at the University of Calgary in the 1980s. 

“When I started my nursing degree, I was interested in going into surgery, but when I did my practicum at the Holy Cross Hospital in cardiology, I really enjoyed it,” she said. 

Not only did Cassidy enjoy working with cardiac patients, but she obviously excelled because following completion of her practicum in 1982, she was hired on. In that role, Cassidy cared for a variety of cardiac patients ranging from those suffering from heart failure and heart attacks to pre- and post-surgical care. 

By 1985, Cassidy was ready for a new challenge and applied for a job at Foothills Medical Centre working with electrophysiologists and researchers Dr. George Wyse, MD, Dr. Brent Mitchell, MD, and Dr. Henry J. Duff.

“At the time, I really didn’t know what I was applying for,” says Cassidy with a laugh. “They explained what electrophysiology was and asked me how long I thought I would work in the position.”

Cassidy’s answer, that she would stay forever as long as it was interesting and challenging, proved accurate. Forty years later, she’s still working with the electrophysiology group as part of the Device Clinic at Foothills Hospital. 

Cassidy’s first role with the team was as a nurse working on some of the earliest electrophysiology studies in Calgary, an internationally renowned centre of excellence in electrophysiology. Back then, the field of electrophysiology was in its infancy and there were few treatments for heartbeat disturbances.  

“The month I started, we implanted the first internal defibrillator in Western Canada, and it was big and bulky and required open-chest surgery,” says Cassidy, explaining they called these first devices ‘shock boxes’ because they provided a life saving shock to patients that went into dangerous ventricular arrhythmias. 

In her first few years, technology changed rapidly and Cassidy was a key part of the evolution of the treatments offered at the Calgary Arrhythmia Clinic. She was closely involved with both the first ablations in Calgary and the first defibrillator implantations. Over the years, she watched as technology changed and improved and was involved in many more firsts, such as internal cardioversions for atrial fibrillation and later, for ablations to treat supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder. 

Caring for patients before and after they receive a device implantation or ablation has been a cornerstone of her work over the years. Education is also a key focus. Cassidy developed the first patient education materials used by patients. Many of those form the foundation of what’s being used today.  She started the first remote monitoring program outside of the United States for patients with cardiac implantable electrical devices in 2009 and today the device clinic follows approximately 4,500 patients with this technology.  She was also instrumental in the start-up of the Atrial Fibrillation Clinic at the Foothills Hospital.

Cassidy’s technological expertise has also enabled her to help train numerous fellows and nurse colleagues over the years on how to optimize devices to get the best results for patients. 

She’s also worked on a variety of research projects, where she’s helped study everything from new anti-arrhythmia drugs, devices and leads, to using implants as primary prevention devices used to reverse damage done by heart disease. 

Today, Cassidy focuses on the nurse-led Device Clinic at Foothills Medical Centre on a team that’s grown exponentially over the years. 

“When I started, there were four nurses in all of electrophysiology—two research and two clinical,” says Cassidy. “Today, there are 17 nurses working just for the device clinics.”  

Cassidy says there are several reasons why she has stayed in her role for four decades: working with patients, her team and the challenges.  

“My job is constantly evolving and challenging. Every patient has a unique story and challenges, and you have to use your background knowledge and problem solve every day,” says Cassidy. “But it’s not just the challenging work, it’s the people I work with too. I think of us as family—the doctors, nurses, administration staff, fellows, everyone. There’s a mutual respect and a lot of collaboration.” 

Cassidy recently received the Allied Health Professional Achievement Award from the Canadian Heart Rhythm Society, which honours an individual who has significantly supported and aided the growth of the heart rhythm field during their career. She’s pleased to have been recognized. 

“It was a bit of a surprise, but it was nice to be acknowledged in that way,” says Cassidy, noting when giving her speech, she saw many familiar faces in the crowd. 

As she nears retirement, Cassidy reflects over her career with gratitude. 

“When I said that I was going to stay forever, I had no idea that it would be a reality,” says Cassidy. “But I am thankful that it did, because it’s been a great career.”