ED Nursing Archives – August 1, 2006
August 1, 2006
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Joint Commission's 2007 safety goals will revamp ED nursing practice
Do you identify patients at risk for suicide? Do you give patients a list of their medications? And do you encourage patients to report safety risks? These are some of the changes you'll need to make to comply with the 2007 National Patient Safety Goals from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. -
5 ways to involve ED patients in care
The 2007 National Patient Safety Goals will require you to involve patients in their care. Here are some ways to do this in the ED, says Darlene Bradley, RN, CNS, CCRN, CEN. MICN, FAEN, director of emergency/trauma services at University of California-Irvine Medical Center in Orange: -
Flu shot requirement adopted by JCAHO
Does your ED offer influenza vaccine to staff? This will be a requirement from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, effective Jan. 1, 2007. -
Spinal cord injuries require special care
Patients with acute spinal cord injury are at risk for spinal shock and or neurogenic shock, and hypotension and bradycardia are major concerns, says Jean M. Marso, RN, BSN, trauma coordinator at University of Colorado Hospital in Denver. -
Pediatric Corner: Are children at risk for weight-based drug errors?
Children are at high risk for medication dosage errors in the ED, partly because many medication doses are weight-based, says Susan Paparella, director of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Strategies in Huntingdon Valley, PA. -
Aspirin is underused for TIA patients, study says
When patients come to your ED with a transient ischemic attacks (TIA), do they receive antiplatelet medications even if they are asymptomatic? -
'Timeouts' can be useful for ED procedures
Do you assume that the "timeout" requirements from the Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, and Wrong Person Surgery only apply to operating rooms? -
Which children are most likely to return to the ED?
Have you ever wondered why some children return to the ED many times? Researchers sought to answer this question, and of 932 cases, found that 25% had at least one visit during the previous three months and 4% had a return visit within 48 hours.