ED Nursing articles from January 2009

ED Nursing archives from January 2009

Is your next stroke patient outside treatment window? Don't be so sure.
January 1, 2009... Is your next stroke patient outside treatment window? Don't be so sure Study calls for extending time frames right away A patient reports stroke symptoms that began four hours ago -- outside the window for treatment with intravenous...

Clinical Tips: Do neuro assessment with oncoming nurse.
January 1, 2009... Do neuro assessment with oncoming nurse If you're the off-going nurse "handing off" a stroke patient, take the oncoming nurse to the bedside for a brief neurological exam, advises Tia Moore, RN, CEN, clinical nurse educator for the ED at...

Cut delays by taking these actions for stroke.
January 1, 2009... Cut delays by taking these actions for stroke Even with the possibility of a 41/2-hour window for treatment of stroke patients, you should always act with a sense of urgency, stresses Stacey Claus, RN, BSN, CNRN, clinical instructor for the...

Do this to prepare if your patient might get tPA.
January 1, 2009... Do this to prepare if your patient might get tPA If your patient is a possible candidate for tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), past medical/surgical history, allergies, and medications need to be reviewed, says Joyce McIntyre, RN, MSN,...

ED's protocol covers all heparin recommendations.
January 1, 2009... ED's protocol covers all heparin recommendations Smaller ED is very proactive Anticoagulant safety is in the spotlight. A recent Sentinel Event Alert issued by The Joint Commission says that 59,316 medication errors involving blood...

3 ways to avoid anticoagulant errors.
January 1, 2009... 3 ways to avoid anticoagulant errors At Northeast Baptist Hospital in San Antonio, ED nurses are given training to prevent anticoagulant errors during orientation and during advanced certification training, says Wendi Deleon, RN, MS,...

Study finds unacceptable delays in ED pain meds.(Clinical report)
January 1, 2009... Study finds unacceptable delays in ED pain meds If you would like to use standing orders for pain management in your ED, a new study's findings give you powerful evidence to share. For patients 8 years or older who presented to the ED...

Clinical Tips: Don't put patient in sudden withdrawal.
January 1, 2009... Don't put patient in sudden withdrawal An ED physician prescribes nalbuphine or butorphanol for pain, thinking that the patient might have less severe drowsiness than from other pain medications, but doesn't check to see if the patient is...

CMS says yes, ED nurses can use standing orders.
January 1, 2009... CMS says yes, ED nurses can use standing orders Patients could have been harmed Were you concerned that your ability to use standing orders at triage was in jeopardy? A February 2008 interpretive guideline from the Centers for Medicare...

ED nurses say care is quicker and safer.
January 1, 2009... ED nurses say care is quicker and safer Orders at triage standardize care Standing orders used by emergency nurses not only speeds patient care; it also "adds a measure of safety in that they are standardized," says Gayle Walker-Cillo,...

New urine test can ID internal bleeding in ED.
January 1, 2009... New urine test can ID internal bleeding in ED If your patient is bleeding internally, you can know this in seconds instead of waiting for blood test results to come back by using a new urine test for hemoglobin, developed by Irvine,...

These patients can benefit from ED hemoglobin test.
January 1, 2009... These patients can benefit from ED hemoglobin test Here are three scenarios in which noninvasive hemoglobin measurements could affect an ED patient's care: * Acute trauma situations, such as motor vehicle accidents, gunshot wounds, and...

ED makes big changes to med reconciliation process.(emergency department)
January 1, 2009... ED makes big changes to med reconciliation process At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, ED nurses "made some huge changes" to their medication reconciliation process, reports Shelley Calder, RN, CEN, MSN, clinical nurse...

What ED nurses can expect from Obama.
January 1, 2009... What ED nurses can expect from Obama Although it's impossible to know what an Obama administration means for emergency nurses, there is reason to be encouraged, according to Denise King, RN, MSN, CEN, president of the Emergency Nurses...

CNE objectives/questions.
January 1, 2009... CNE objectives/questions Participants who complete this activity will be able to: *identify clinical, regulatory, or social issues relating to ED nursing; *describe how those issues affect nursing service delivery; *integrate...