ED Nursing articles from September 2005

ED Nursing archives from September 2005

EDs aren't following heart attack guidelines: Revamp protocols now.
September 1, 2005... .table {border-collapse: collapse; border-color: #000000; } EDs aren't following heart attack guidelines: Revamp protocols now Even smallest ED can meet recommendations for time frames Minutes after a man dialed 911 and was rushed...

Do physicians comply with verbal orders policy?
September 1, 2005... Do physicians comply with verbal orders policy? Your ED has a policy that verbal orders are to be used in emergencies only - but a medical staff member routinely calls in telephone orders for patients. What do you do? Although verbal...

When physicians won't comply, then document.
September 1, 2005... When physicians won't comply, then document At Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, verbal orders are accepted only when a patient's life or limb is in danger; otherwise, the physician must write the order, says Judy Street, RN, manager of...

Are cancer patients getting inadequate care in your ED?
September 1, 2005... Are cancer patients getting inadequate care in your ED? After ED nurses detected a mild fever in a cancer patient, a decision was made to start treatment after the patient was admitted to the floor. "It was over three hours before the...

Avoid EMTALA violations: Never say these 3 things.(Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act)
September 1, 2005... Avoid EMTALA violations: Never say these 3 things Your ED's waiting room is packed with patients, and stress levels are rising fast. A man with an ankle injury asks angrily, "How much longer will I have to wait?" You roll your eyes and...

Staff incentives help prepare for surveys.
September 1, 2005... Staff incentives help prepare for surveys Is an unannounced survey from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) topping your "worry list" these days? All Joint Commission surveys will be unannounced as of...

Here are questions to prepare for JCAHO.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
September 1, 2005... Here are questions to prepare for JCAHO Below are questions asked of ED nurses at Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC, to prepare for an unannounced survey by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare...

Project gives nurses quick access to patient meds.
September 1, 2005... Project gives nurses quick access to patient meds *A woman found unconscious by co-workers. *An elderly man who says he takes several medications, but he can't recall the names or dosages. *A teenage girl critically injured in a...

Avoid recording inaccurate respiratory rates at triage.
September 1, 2005... Avoid recording inaccurate respiratory rates at triage Do you always measure a patient's respiratory rate at triage? Would it surprise you to know that what you're documenting often is inaccurate, according to new research.1 "Many of...

CE questions.
September 1, 2005... CE questions 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 Do physicians comply with verbal orders policy?) *Describe...