Emergency department specific objectives

• Assessment/Reassessment of Emergency Patients

To standardize the nursing assessment in the ED.

Define how to incorporate the nursing process with each assessment.

Define policies regarding assessment of the ED patient at GHS.

Define process of reassessment of the ED patient.

• Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat

Identify emergencies related to the eye, ear, nose, and throat.

Identify the major structures of the eye, ear, nose, and throat.

Describe nursing care of the patient with eye, ear, nose, and throat emergency.

• Chest Pain in the ED

Identify what an MI is.

Describe clinical presentation of a patient presenting to the ED with chest pain.

Define what tPA is and how it is administered.

Define what the ASSENT III study is and what drugs are used.

Identify different anticoagulant therapies used with patients with chest pain.

• Musculoskeletal Emergencies

Describe signs and symptoms to look for on a patient with musculoskeletal injury.

Identify types of musculoskeletal injuries seen in the ED and treatment of each.

Describe and perform proper splint application.

• Pulmonary Emergencies, Asthma, Pneumonia, PE

Identify types of respiratory emergencies presenting to the ED.

Define assessment and treatment of various respiratory emergencies.

• Environmental Emergencies

Identify types of environmental emergencies seen in the ED.

Describe the process of reporting environmental emergencies in the ED.

• Disaster Preparedness

Identify types of disasters and what your role would be.

• Pediatric Assessment

Describe nursing assessment of the pediatric patient in the ED.

• Pediatric Medical Emergencies

Identify types of pediatric medical emergencies in the ED and care of each.

• Surface Trauma Burns

Identify types of burns in the ED and assessment and care for each.

Identify complications in the burn patient.

• Legal and Ethical Considerations

Identify terms related to legal and ethical issues seen in the ED.

• Abuse: Elderly, Child, Domestic

Identify types of abuse seen in the ED.

Describe legal process taken for patients in the ED who present with abuse or suspected abuse.

• Psychiatric Emergencies

Define types of psychiatric emergencies seen in the ED.

Describe process of 10-13, 20-13, and legal implications.

• Abdominal Pain

Describe assessment of patient presenting to ED with abdominal pain.

Identify labs and protocols used for patients presenting to ED with abdominal pain.

• Trauma

Identify roles of resuscitation of the trauma patient in the ED.

Describe assessment and treatments of the trauma patient in the ED.

• Pediatric Trauma

Identify assessment of the pediatric trauma patient in the ED.

Source: Promina Gwinnett Hospital System, Lawrenceville, GA.