Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Multicenter Study
Emergency Nurse Competence in Electrocardiographic Interpretation in Spain: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Electrocardiographic interpretation skills are key to provide a fast attention to patients with thoracic pain. The aim of the study was to determine the current level of competence in electrocardiographic interpretation of nurses in emergency departments. ⋯ The electrocardiographic knowledge of emergency nurses is high. Level of knowledge was not influenced by experience or hospital but was influenced by training when provided in the previous 5 years. Therefore, refreshing courses should be taken at least every 5 years. Contribution to Emergency Nursing Practice.
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Albert Einstein defines insanity as doing the same thing over again but expecting different results. Although the United States claims to reduce antibiotic abuse, practice strict isolation, and clean meticulously, the burden of Clostridium difficile outpaces goals. Unless innovative approaches are tried, we risk culling elderly, immunosuppressed, and otherwise debilitated populations. Emergency departments are a primary access point for patients who are unable to wait for primary care. As a result, many patients with diarrhea are seen in emergency departments. ⋯ Third-party hospital laboratories generated all CDI data, which reduced bias. However, laboratories were unable to stratify CDIs as inpatient and outpatient in origin. More research is recommended with larger ED patient sample sizes.