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Are dangerous errors occurring during change of shift? Use these strategies

After a stressful 12-hour shift in the ED, have you ever forgotten to tell the oncoming nurse about a patients pending lab test results, pain medications given but not documented, the fact that a medication is hung on an intravenous pole but not yet infused, or the need for contact precautions?

Are you giving poor care to sickle cell patients?

A 33-year-old man with sickle cell disease complains of severe pain in his right arm and reports that attempts to treat the pain at home were unsuccessful. Since the man appears calm and vital signs are normal, the triage nurse gives the patient a low priority. But after waiting for more than an hour, the patient cant tolerate the pain any longer and reports to the triage area with loud, belligerent demands for service.

Discharge instructions adequate? Don’t risk a suit

If a patient claimed that you never told him how to care for a wound that became infected, would you be able to prove otherwise?

2 lawsuits for poor ED care have different outcomes

These cases illustrate the impact that discharge instructions given to ED patients have on the outcome of a malpractice lawsuit:

Do you put CAP patients at risk in your facility?

If an elderly patient with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) came to your ED and left with a prescription for antibiotics, would you expect the patient to take the medication? What if the patient has no transportation to a pharmacy, forgets to take the pills, or stops taking the drug because they are feeling better?

Study: 5-level triage scale is safe for pediatrics

Has your ED switched to a five-level triage system, or are you in the process of doing so? If so, youre probably familiar with ample research showing its validity in adult patients. But until now, no studies have focused on children.

Be on the lookout for signs of sepsis in female patients

Due to five deaths from serious bacterial infection and sepsis after use of mifepristone (Mifeprex, manufactured by New York City-based Danco Laboratories) and misoprostol for nonsurgical abortion, the drugs manufacturer has revised the safety information for the drugs label and issued a letter to ED directors.

Can you quickly identify patients at risk of falls?

Assessing patients for fall risk is an accreditation requirement and a 2005 National Patient Safety Goal, but this is difficult for EDs because time is limited, unlike at other hospital units that perform in-depth assessments, says Teresa Sumner, BSN, RN, CDONA/LTC, geriatric clinical nurse specialist and wound care coordinator at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston, NC.

Use checklist for fall assessment in your ED

At Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kingston, NC, ED patients that meet one or more of these criteria are to be considered as at risk for falls and have a red band placed on the wrist:

ED Nursing Archives – October 1, 2005

October 1, 2005