International emergency nursing
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Violence in the emergency department (ED) is a global problem. In our first paper, we highlighted the potential psychological effects of alcohol intoxication, the literatures discussion of alcohol related violence in the emergency department and the importance of developing positive nurse/service user relationships. In this second paper, we discuss personal and organisational strategies clinical nursing staff may consider appropriate to minimise the risk of assault when caring for service users projecting alcohol related aggression.
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Delirium occurs frequently among elderly patients in the Emergency Department (ED), and accurate assessment is difficult without knowledge of the patient's usual cognitive functioning. This audit was designed to determine whether routine cognitive screening of elderly patients in ED could lead to early identification of delirium. ⋯ ED nurses should routinely establish baseline cognitive functioning and assess for delirium. The AMT4 may be more suitable because of its brevity, but requires further research.
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There are many pressures placed on Emergency Departments (EDs) and anecdotally patients with low acuity abdominal pain can spend a long time in ED waiting for treatment. ⋯ Low acuity abdominal presentations waited a significant amount of time for initiation of treatment. This convenience sample demonstrates the lack of a standardized protocol for abdominal pain presentations in the ED.
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Internationally, violence in the emergency department (ED) is of a constant concern to emergency practitioners. Frequently, both original research papers and anecdotal reports emphasise the phenomenon of alcohol related aggression in the ED. In this first paper, we highlight the literatures discussion of alcohol related violence in the emergency department and the potential psychological effects of alcohol intoxication. In the second we offer personal and organisational strategies clinical nursing staff may consider appropriate to minimise the risk of assault when caring for service users projecting alcohol related aggression.