Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Mislabeled specimen collection in the emergency department has the potential to significantly harm patients. Studies suggest that improvement efforts can reduce specimen rejection from the laboratory and reduce mislabeled specimens in emergency departments and hospital-wide. ⋯ Improving patient safety in complex clinical settings requires a systems approach. Using the established framework of clinical microsystems, along with a tenacious and persistent interdisciplinary team, helped create a reliable process for minimizing mislabeled specimens in the emergency department.
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The emergency department is the most affected by physical and verbal abuse and bullying in health care. Violence against health care workers not only affects their safety, but also their performance and motivation. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated determinants of violence against health care personnel. ⋯ Attention is required to identify the prevalence of workplace violence. Creating effective policies and procedures for a reporting system would potentially lead to lowering violence rates and positively impacting health care workers' well-being.
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After coronavirus disease 2019, there has been an increase in patients in the emergency department with mental health conditions. They are usually received by professionals who are not specialized in mental health. This study aimed to describe nursing staff's experiences in the emergency department, in the care they provide to people with mental health problems who often feel stigmatized by society and also in health care settings. ⋯ The main study findings were the need to train emergency nurses to be prepared to care for people who experience mental health concerns including bias education and the need for implementation of standardized protocols. Emergency nurses never doubted their ability to care for people experiencing mental health disorders. Still, they recognized that they needed specialized professionals' support at certain critical moments.
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Observational Study
Hemolyzed Laboratory Specimens in the Emergency Department: An Underappreciated, but Frequent Problem.
Hemolysis of blood samples from emergency department (ED) patients leads to delays in treatment and disposition. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of hemolysis and variables predictive of hemolysis. ⋯ This large observational analysis demonstrates that lab hemolysis of is a frequent occurrence among ED patients. Given the added risk of hemolysis with certain placement variables, clinicians should consider catheter gauge/placement location to avoid hemolysis that may result in patient care delays and prolonged hospital stays.