Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) are specialized nurses who provide sexual assault (SA) examinations and forensic evidence collection. Currently, Adult/Adolescent (A/A) SANEs in Massachusetts are trained and certified to care only for patients 12 years and older who present acutely to EDs. The purpose of this study was to describe the attitudes of SANEs regarding the possibility of cross-training to care for younger patients (<12 years). ⋯ This research fills a gap in the forensic and ED nursing literature by providing insights into the attitudes and concerns of SANEs who care for some of the most vulnerable patients. The findings of this study can inform the acute care and evidence collection practices that are used when caring for pediatric patients who have experienced SA.
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Between 2009 and 2010, the rate of contamination of hemocultures drawn in our emergency department was much higher than the quality standards recommended, so we decided to check the extraction procedure of the samples to detect possible faults. We also wanted to study the perception of the nursing staff about the quality of their practice. ⋯ Several technical deficiencies were observed in the procedure for extraction of blood cultures. This fact partly explains the high rate of contamination found in our emergency department.
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As hospitals compete for patients and their healthcare dollars, the emergency nurse is being asked to provide excellent nursing care to "customers" rather than patients. This has changed the approach in delivering quality care and has created favorable conditions for conflict as the nurse tries to achieve specific patient satisfaction goals. ⋯ The core conflict of conflicting priorities was based on the emergency nurses' perception that while patient satisfaction is important, it is not necessarily an indicator of quality of care. Interacting sub-themes reflect the way in which conflict priorities were influenced by patient satisfaction and the nurses' ability to provide quality care. Avoidant conflict management style was used to resolve conflicting priorities because nurses perceive that there is not enough time to address conflict even though it could impact on work stress and patient care.