ED Nursing Archives – November 1, 2005
November 1, 2005
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Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina: EDs share their best disaster strategies
You may have planned for an influx of injured patients and fine-tuned your decontamination process. But what if your own hospital is flooded, the ED has to be evacuated, and some of your patients are armed and dangerous, with no law enforcement in sight? -
Will you meet the needs of ED nurses during disasters?
Working days without sleeping or eating, and worried about the safety of their own children and family members. These were the horrific conditions ED nurses faced during Hurricane Katrina. -
Do you monitor end tidal CO2? Here’s why you should
Currently, only a handful of EDs are monitoring ETCO2, but this number will increase dramatically in the near future, predicts Rebecca Meredith, RRT, respiratory therapy supervisor for the department of emergency services at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. -
Stop ‘handoff’ errors when patients leave the ED
Patients are transported out of the ED dozens of times a day, whether for diagnostic tests or to inpatient units. This is a high-risk time for errors due to lapses in communication during patient handoffs, says Trisha Flanagan, RN, MSN, CEN, ED nurse manager at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. -
Do psychiatric cases risk EMTALA violations?
A confused woman who cant remember what day it is. A man who says he doesnt feel himself lately. A teenager who admits hes considered suicide. -
Are you giving poor care for acute coronary syndrome?
Is your ED complying with current guidelines for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)? Evidence-based interventions are not being done for some non-ST segment elevation ACS patients with elevated troponin levels, according to a new study. -
Tip of the Month: Video reminds nurses of patient’s perspective
Have you ever talked to a colleague about personal matters while caring for a patient? Or shared a joke with other nurses in earshot of patients in a crowded waiting room?