ED Nursing Archives – September 1, 2006
September 1, 2006
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New guidelines will revamp ED nursing care of cardiac patients
If a patient in your ED goes into cardiac arrest, would your goal be to get the defibrillator to the patient as quickly as possible -- even if that means delaying continuous cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)? -
Don't ignore women with atypical STEMI symptoms
After an elderly white female told ED nurses at Spartanburg (SC) Regional Healthcare System that she had been having abdominal pain for several days, the patient waited to be seen. By the time she was assessed by the physician, the woman was experiencing neck and jaw pain. -
Don't miss carbon monoxide poisoning: Screen patients
When a group of guests at a motel in Ocean City, MD, were brought to an ED with headaches and nausea, they were treated for food poisoning -- but a carbon monoxide (CO) leak was the actual cause of their symptoms. -
Joint Commission asks about disaster planning
Based on the recent experience of a Massachusetts hospital that underwent its accreditation survey, you can expect your ED nurses to be asked about disaster planning during your next survey. -
Don't miss patients at risk for falling in your ED
When ED nurses at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis performed a literature search on fall risk, they were disappointed. -
Report will revamp ED care of pediatric patients
Overcrowding, boarding, diversion, long waits to be seen, inadequate staffing, and inconsistent competency levels all contribute to a potentially hazardous patient environment. -
Stop errors with bedside reports at change of shift
Dangerous mistakes made by ED nurses often occur during patient "handoffs" at change of shift -- and accreditation surveyors will want to see that you have a system in place to address this potential problem.