International emergency nursing
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Comparative Study
Experiences of patients with acute abdominal pain in the ED or acute surgical ward --a qualitative comparative study.
The Danish health care system is currently establishing emergency departments (EDs) with an observation unit nationwide. The aim of the study was to investigate patients with acute abdominal pain and their experiences upon arrival and stay in an acute surgical ward (ASW) versus an ED with an observation unit. A phenomenological-hermeneutic comparative field study with participant observation and interviews was performed. ⋯ In ASW, focus was on assessment by a senior physician, only, and the nurses' interaction with the patients took place after surgical assessment. In all, patients experienced long waiting times. The study shows a need to define the roles of the professionals in units receiving patients with acute abdominal pain in order to fulfil the medical as well as the experienced needs of the acute patient.
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The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and awareness regarding the emergency management of dental traumatic injuries among the present and prospective nurses of KLE Institute of Nursing Sciences and Hospital, Belgaum, India. ⋯ As nurses stand on the front lines of responding to emergency, it is essential that they also possess adequate knowledge about dental traumatic injuries and its emergency management. As the findings of our study revealed poor knowledge about emergency management of dental trauma, it is concluded that there is a need for mass educational campaign to broaden the nurses' knowledge about this.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of adherence to correctly documented triage level of critically ill patients between emergency department and the ambulance service nurses.
Priority or triage has always occurred in emergency care. Today it is performed by both nurses in emergency departments (EDs) and ambulance services (ASs) to ensure patient safety. Recent studies have shown that nurses are unlikely to change their first impressions and patients suffering from blunt trauma are undertriaged. ⋯ Of 592 analysed triage records from a university, a central and a district hospital, the adherence was 64% by ED nurses and 43% by AS nurses (p<0.001), but individual percentages ranged from 27% to 88%. Patient safety is jeopardised when nurses do not adhere to the triage system and do not correctly document the triage level. Internal feedback and control are two approaches to improve the patient outcome, indicating that organisational actions must be taken.
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The aim of this study was to identify effective corrective measures to ensure patient safety in the Paediatric Emergency Department (ED). ⋯ Mapping the process allowed to identify risks linked to health professionals' non-technical skills. In particular, we found that the most dangerous Failure Modes for their frequency and harmfulness were those related to communication among health professionals.
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Violence in healthcare is a significant issue and one that is increasing in prevalence globally. Nurses have been identified as the professional group at most risk, with patients the main source of this violence. The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of Australian ED nurses with episodes of patient-related violence from young adults (16-25years of age) and the parents of paediatric patients. ⋯ Overall the results speak to a working environment where participants regularly feel unsafe. Violence in the ED is perceived to occur frequently and to such an extent that participants have become resigned to expect and accept it as part of their job. The role played by distinct groups such as young adults and the parents of paediatric patients must be acknowledged and this knowledge used along with other known risk factors to help identify patients at risk of potential violence.