Emergency nurse : the journal of the RCN Accident and Emergency Nursing Association
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The NHS could not be better prepared for winter. At least that was the message when the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England launched their Stay Well This Winter campaign.
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Conducting research in emergency departments is relatively new, and there are a number of ethical and practical challenges to recruiting patients in these settings. In 2008, the Emergency Medicine Research Group Edinburgh (EMERGE) was set up at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh emergency department to support researchers and encourage the growth of research in emergency medicine. ⋯ The results showed a significant difference between perceived and actual recruitment times, which has implications for planning staff numbers and budgets. This article describes the evaluation process and methods of data collection, and discusses the results.
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Management of severely injured patients is complex and requires organised, expert care. Regionalised trauma systems are relatively new in the UK and aim to deliver optimal, timely care to injured patients at the most appropriate location. This article discusses the drivers, organisation, processes and outcomes of regionalised trauma care. It also describes the challenges and benefits of working within a trauma system to enable emergency practitioners to reflect on their roles in contemporary trauma care.
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Case Reports Comparative Study
Comparison of intravenous morphine and paracetamol.
One of the main complaints from patients who present to emergency departments with illness or injury is pain, yet often this is not well managed in emergency settings. Nurse prescribers are in an ideal position to make a rapid assessment and then prescribe and treat patients' pain, and must quickly decide which is the safest and most effective drug for each individual. This article compares intravenous morphine with intravenous paracetamol for managing pain in patients with isolated limb trauma who then require manipulation under sedation. A case study examines the decision-making process.