International emergency nursing
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To estimate the inter- and intra-rater reliability of triage ratings on Emergency Centre patients by South African nurses and doctors using the South African Triage Scale (SATS). ⋯ This study indicates good inter- and intra-rater reliability among nurses and doctors using the SATS. It suggests that the SATS is reliably applied, and supports the feasibility of further implementation of the SATS in similar settings.
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The aims of this study were to (1) explore the clinical handover processes between ambulance and ED personnel of patients arriving by ambulance at one hospital and (2) identify factors that impact on the information transfer to ascertain strategies for improvement. ⋯ Clinical handover between two organisations with different cultures and backgrounds may be improved through shared training programmes involving the use of guidelines, tools such as a whiteboard and a structured communication model such as MIST. Future participatory research to evaluate new handover strategies is recommended.
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We developed a stream system to the current triangle system in order to manage patient flow at the emergency department and to clarify ENP role boundaries. ⋯ This study showed excellent correlation between the ENP-streaming and patients' injury severity and resource utilisation, suggesting high internal validity of our triage streaming system. It clarifies the ENP role, minimising the subjectivity of patient allocation.
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Little is known about the public's preferences for pain management prior to attending an Emergency Department (ED). Therefore, the aim of the study was to explore (i) triage documentation of pre-hospital analgesic patterns for patients presenting in pain; (ii) patient documented explanations for not self administering an analgesic in the pre-hospital setting; (iii) triage nurse documentation of pain descriptors and or pain scores; and (iv) the disposition of ED patients presenting in pain. ⋯ Unnecessary suffering may be avoided if the public had a better understanding of pain and the benefits of pain management. Further research is required to better understand the beliefs and attitudes towards pain and pain management by clinicians and the public.