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ED managers might breathe a small sigh of relief following the announcement from The Joint Commission (TJC) that there will be no new National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) developed for 2010, but experts say that doesn't mean they should pay any less attention to improving patient safety strategies.
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The best way to avoid (or at least minimize) problems with information technology (IT) implementation in the ED is to take certain steps to make sure you are adequately prepared, advises James Walker, MD, FACP, chief medical information officer of Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA.
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To obtain an accurate history from a child, you need to gain their trust, just as you do with adult patients that are in crisis, says Freda Lyon, RN, BSN, MHA, service line administrator at Bixler Emergency Center in Tallahassee, FL.
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[Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series on medical screening examinations (MSEs) performed by emergency nurses. This month, we report on two EDs that have implemented this practice. Next month, we'll cover the potential liability risks of nurse-performed MSEs and how to them.]
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Point-of-care tests done by ED nurses at triage or the patient's bedside are increasing "both in terms of use and diversity," according to Darlene Matsuoka, RN, MN, CEN, CCRN, ED clinical nurse educator at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
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Children under 2 years old with asthma are more likely than other children to return to the ED within seven days, according to a recent analysis of 4,228 visits.1
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If a patient comes to your ED with a fractured wrist, you'd probably triage them as low acuity based solely on their chief complaint.
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A patient is mistakenly given tenectaplase, an investigational drug, due to it being a "look-alike," with proper protocols not followed.
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Emergency physicians perform many lifesaving procedures every day; however, none is more important than effective airway management.
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Historically, all febrile infants younger than 90 days of age were aggressively evaluated and treated with empiric antibiotics until culture results were available. Although this approach ensured the highest level of sensitivity in the detection of serious bacterial infection (SBI), such evaluations were time- and labor-intensive, and created a risk for unnecessary adverse reactions to medications.