ED Nursing Archives – April 1, 2010
April 1, 2010
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Your ED's next acute MI patient might not be what you're expecting
Several years ago, walking through the waiting room at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA, on her way to triage, Ellen Smithline, RN, CEN, TNCC-I, ENPC-I, an ED clinical educator, noticed a woman in her 30s who looked pale and was rubbing her chest. -
Suspect a seizure in an elder? Don't be fooled
Observing an elderly man's shaking extremities, ED nurses at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis first suspected undiagnosed Parkinson's disease. He actually was having mild seizure activity. -
Is patient intubated? He or she is at risk for VAP
Many intensive care units (ICUs) are making changes to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), but what about the ED? -
Don't take needless risks if patient needs isolation
Noncompliance with isolation precautions can be extremely dangerous for ED nurses, but in fact, this situation is surprisingly common, according to Diane Hochstetler, RN, BSN, CEN, clinical practice specialist for the ED at Goshen (IN) General Hospital. -
ED nursing near misses can be used as red flags
Drug or dosage near misses are common in EDs, but these tend to be swept aside by nurses. How can you call attention to these near-disasters so others can learn from them? -
How to ID adolescent intent on self-harm
(Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series on caring for potentially suicidal adolescents. This month, we give strategies for assessing the risk of self-harm and avoiding overmedicating patients. Next month, we will cover steps to take after an ingestion and questions to ask if you suspect an overdose.)