ED Nursing Archives – December 1, 2006
December 1, 2006
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ED nursing care of chest pain patient ruled homicide by jury
The 49-year-old woman reported classic heart attack symptoms -- chest pain, shortness of breath, and nausea -- to nurses at an Illinois ED. -
EDs using non-nurses in triage, waiting rooms
A recent Illinois case of a patient dying in an ED waiting room after being seen briefly at triage underscores the increased pressures emergency nurses are facing, due to long wait times and overcrowded EDs. -
Reassess pain to comply with JCAHO standards
f you don't reassess a patient's pain levels periodically and document this reassessment, you're not in compliance with requirements from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. -
Pneumonia with atypical symptoms: Risk of delays
Only 43%-64% of adult ED pneumonia patients in two Pennsylvania EDs got antibiotics within four hours as recommended by current guidelines, says a new study. -
Identify children at high risk for poor ED aftercare
Only 60.4% of pediatric patient guardians followed up with ED discharge instructions to see a physician, says a new study. -
ED is only source of care for many asthma patients
A patient comes to your ED with a severe asthma attack holding an empty inhaler, and he says he ran out of medication weeks ago. -
Have clinical staff wear locator badges
At Swedish Medical Center's ED in Seattle, WA, all clinical staff wear locator badges [manufactured by Versus, based in Traverse City, MI] that identify where specific individuals are located, both via a light above the patient rooms and on a tracking view of a computer.