ED Nursing articles from November 2004

ED Nursing archives from November 2004

Are you about to be sued? Make practice changes now, avoid disaster: staffing shortages and overcrowding put you at risk for lawsuits.
November 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ED nurses are facing increased liability risks due to the nursing shortage and overcrowding. One successful malpractice case specifically involved inadequate nurse staffing in the ED. * If you realize you forgot to...

Dramatically improve care of your trauma patients.
November 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY To prevent hypothermia in trauma patients, warm intravenous fluids and blood products, keep the patient covered, and give uncrossmatched blood using the rapid infuser/fluid warmer. * Obtain a baseline temperature as...

Reduce the risks of verbal orders with these steps.
November 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The ED uses verbal orders more frequently than other departments, so there is a higher risk of error. * Verbal orders should be used only in an emergency. * Verify verbal orders by reading back to the physician....

No. 1 EMTALA mistake: confusing triage and MSE.
November 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Triage does not meet the requirements for a medical screening examination (MSE) under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. * Triage only determines the order in which patients receive the MSE. * The...

Are you comfortable caring for seriously ill children?(Pediatric Corner)
November 1, 2004... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Even if your ED rarely treats children, you must be prepared for the unique needs of these patients. If pediatric education falls by the wayside, adverse outcomes can occur. * If your hospital doesn't offer pediatric...

Save $1,000 by having secretaries order supplies.(Cost-Saving Tip)
November 1, 2004... In 2003, the ED at Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis finished the year $327 over budget for supplies. As of August 2004, it was $725 under budget. What made the difference? Handing over the role of supply ordering to unit secretaries....

Know risk of antibiotic for patients on some meds.
November 1, 2004... Are you aware of the life-threatening risks of the antibiotic erythromycin for patients taking certain medications? Researchers found that patients given this antibiotic who were also taking calcium-channel blockers, antifungal drugs, or...

CE questions.
November 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 Are you about to be sued? Make practice changes now, avoid disaster, and No. 1...