ED Nursing Archives – January 1, 2004
January 1, 2004
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Will your medication mistakes cause adverse outcomes? Stop them early
When you go to the medication room to get an order of morphine, you misread the medication label and mistakenly grab hydromorphone. You catch the error yourself, and no one else is aware of the mix-up. Even if the wrong drug had been given, no adverse event would have been likely to occur. So, would you report this near miss? -
Do you have strategies to care for obese patients?
Editors note: This is the first of a two-part series on improving care of obese patients in the ED. This months story addresses special considerations for assessment and supplies. Next month, well cover complications of surgical treatment for morbid obesity you may be seeing in your ED. -
Surveyors will ask nurses to describe patient care
As an ED nurse, you can expect dramatic changes during your next survey from the Oakbrook Terrace, IL-based Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, as a result of the new Shared Visions, New Pathways process and emphasis on continuous readiness. -
Do you provide good care in dental emergencies?
While working in the ED one night, a nurse noticed a strange feeling around her left cheek. -
You can save thousands by auditing patient charts
Over a year, how would you like to add $9,863 to your EDs bottom line by catching missed charges for supplies or wrong acuity levels? -
Use ‘3-man’ technique for catheter urinalysis
Heres an easier way to obtain a catheter urinalysis on pediatric females when you need a very clean urine specimen, such as for a septic work-up on a small child, or you need to rule out a urinary tract infection. -
Journal Reviews
The effect of organizational climate on the clinical care of patients with mental health problems; A decision rule for identifying children at low risk for brain injuries after blunt head trauma. -
Does your disaster plan meet needs of ED nurses?
Do you expect that nurses will come straight to the ED in the event of a major disaster, regardless of their personal needs? Not according to the findings of one new study.