Emergency Medicine Topics
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Point Person Dedicated to Nurse, Support Staff Well-Being
Understanding the critical importance of nurse well-being, a Washington, DC-based health system created a new position dedicated to this work.
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Common Factors if Emergency Nurses Are Named in Malpractice Claim
In an analysis of more than 4,600 claims, researchers found 18% of nursing-related malpractice claims involved ED nurses. Treatment and transport delays were top complaints, underscoring the importance of teamwork and structured communication.
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Robust Data Collection, Careful Review Key to Preventing Disparities
A Boston health system has launched a multimillion dollar program aimed at eliminating disparities and promoting antiracist care.
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Confusion Over ED Instructions Remains Unaddressed Even After Discharge
There is an opportunity to make the ED a place where people feel heard and like they received what they needed, which is especially important because the ED is a crucial point of contact for some historically underserved populations.
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Incidental Findings for ED Patients Are Common, Staff Do Not Always Act
The search continues for an effective technique to identify and intervene on these findings in a way that works in the context of a busy ED workflow.
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Ethical Use of Restraint Hinges on Decision-Making Capacity
The situation becomes ethically complex if the patient’s capacity is unclear, ambiguous, or fluctuating. It is much harder to know if, when, and how to avoid inflicting harm while balancing the patient’s legal and ethical right to make their own decisions.
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Medical Incapacity Holds Require Ethical Oversight
Clinicians feel conflicted about their ethical obligations. On one hand, they know it is unsafe for a confused person to be allowed to walk out of the hospital. On the other hand, they are understandably worried about their legal risks.
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Medical Orgs Ask White House to Intervene on Boarding Problem
More than 30 groups say making admitted patients wait for a room or transfer has become a national crisis.
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EMTALA Concerns if Patient Harm Is Linked to Staffing Shortage
It is important for administrators to understand an individual emergency physician or facility can be held liable under EMTALA, even if no one is hurt.
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The Legal Standard of Care if ED Is Understaffed
Frustrated emergency physicians want to be sure the lack of nursing staff is duly noted in the mistaken belief such a note will change the legal standard of care to which they are held. However, that documentation is ammunition for plaintiff lawyers to use against the provider, and leaves the standard of care unchanged.