ED Nursing Archives – January 1, 2005
January 1, 2005
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ED nurses are responsible for 20% of EMTALA violations: Don’t be next
Although nurses cant be held individually liable under EMTALA, they can still be held liable under their states Nurse Practice Act and be named in medical malpractice lawsuits, says Shelley Cohen, RN, CEN, an educator for Health Resources Unlimited, a Hohenwald, TN-based consulting company specializing in ED triage and health care leadership. -
Good contingency plans address severe flu outbreak
Its a frightening combination: A severe vaccine shortage, more than 80 million Americans at high risk for flu complications, and a nationwide ED overcrowding crisis. These three factors mean that emergency nurses could be faced with the prospect of the perfect storm a surge of critically ill flu patients and no resources to care for them, warns Arthur Kellermann, MD, chairman of the department of emergency medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. -
Checklist gives protection from exposure to flu
When caring for patients with respiratory symptoms, do you always require them to put on surgical masks and perform hand hygiene? It is vital to require patients to practice respiratory etiquette and for staff to use droplet precautions, urges Maryann Gierloff, RN, MSN, CIC, infection control facilitator at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, IL. -
Journal Reviews
Community influenza outbreaks and emergency department ambulance diversion and Impact of a rapid rule-out protocol for pulmonary embolism on rate of screening, missed cases, and pulmonary vascular imaging in an urban U.S. emergency department. -
JCAHO will look for evidence of falls prevention
Is your patient falls reduction program up to par? If not, you could have problems during your next survey by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. One of the new National Patient Safety Goals for 2005 requires you to reduce the risk of patient harm resulting from falls by assessing and periodically reassessing each patients risk for falling and taking action to address any identified risks. -
Quicken treatment for heart failure with BNP test
After suddenly becoming short of breath, a 28-year-old woman in Tuscon, AZ, called 911 and was taken to Carondelet St. Marys Hospitals ED in severe respiratory distress with blood pressure of 250/140. After B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) testing was done, it was determined the patient was in congestive heart failure (CHF) and nesiritide was given. -
Tip of the Month: Mobile monitoring system improves ED’s efficiency
Would you rather move a seriously ill patient with chest pain and shortness of breath from one room to the next so he or she can be monitored or bring the monitor to that patient? -
If you suspect an alcohol problem, use these tools
While assessing a patient, your gut feeling may be that he or she has an alcohol problem. But do you lack the resources to appropriately screen these patients and intervene as needed?