ED Nursing articles from June 2004

ED Nursing archives from June 2004

New sepsis guidelines urge you to revamp care: delays can cost lives: aggressive interventions are needed for first 4 hours in ED.
June 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY According to new guidelines for patients with sepsis, the care patients receive in the ED have a dramatic affect on outcomes. * Start fluid resuscitation and give intravenous antibiotics immediately. * Don't...

Don't harm patients with high-alert drugs.
June 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ED patients are at risk for harmful drug errors due to high patient acuity, high patient volumes, and frequent use of high-alert medications, which often cause serious adverse outcomes when given in error. High-alert...

Switch to team nursing and boost staff morale.
June 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Team nursing can improve satisfaction of nurses and patients and improve retention. * Novice nurses are more likely to ask questions, because they are teamed with experienced nurses. * Nurses don't feel as...

Are you missing serious illness in older patients?
June 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Assessment of elderly ED patients is challenging because physical assessment can appear fine although a life-threatening illness or injury might exist. Also, differentiating signs of serious illness from normal aging can...

Do you keep stroke patients waiting too long?
June 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The vast majority of stroke patients come to the ED too late to be eligible to receive thrombolytic therapy. New research shows the greatest benefit occurs within 90 minutes of onset of symptoms. * Educate nurses...

Do your staff members risk misidentifying patients?
June 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The National Patient Safety Goals call for the use of two patient identifiers before medication administration or laboratory testing. * Acceptable identifiers include the patient's name, identification number, or...

Use a 'trauma pack' to improve care.(Tip Of The Month)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Have you ever had to leave a trauma patient's side to obtain needed supplies'? At University of Utah Hospital Clinics in Salt Lake City, a "trauma pack" is used to keep the trauma nurse in the trauma bay with the patient. "This is a fanny...

CE questions.
June 1, 2004... After reading this issue of ED Nursing, the CE participant should be able to: * Identify clinical, regulatory, or social issues relating to ED nursing (See Don't harm patients with high-alert drugs and Are you missing serious illness in...