Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Pediatric Triage Education for the General Emergency Nurse: A Randomized Crossover Trial Comparing Simulation With Paper-Case Studies.
The majority of pediatric emergency patients are seen in mixed-age emergency departments and triaged by general emergency nurses. Educational methods for teaching pediatric triage education to general emergency nurses have not been well studied, and previous studies of the use of the Emergency Severity Index in children have been performed primarily in centers that are high volume for pediatrics. ⋯ A combined approach of paper-based cases and high-fidelity simulation was effective at improving pediatric triage accuracy among a group of general ED nurses with limited exposure to pediatric patients. The results from this study suggest that combining both methods of education may be a viable means of providing general emergency nurses with additional knowledge in pediatric triage; however, persistent trends in undertriage should be studied further.
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Nurses play critical roles in disaster response, often preparing through simulated exercises. According to The NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory, simulations can lead to anxiety in participants that affects learning. The objective of this research was to measure and describe anxiety and stress levels of participants in a live disaster-training exercise. ⋯ Disaster training may be anxiety provoking and stressful. ED nurses should consider how to include best practice approaches for simulation in design of exercises to prepare for the increasing number of multicasualty events.
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More than 5.5 million patients present to emergency departments in the United States annually for potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS); however, diagnosing ACS remains a challenge in emergency departments. Our aim was to describe the quality of symptoms (chest discomfort/description of pain, location/radiation, and overall symptom distress) reported by women and men ruled-in and ruled-out for ACS in emergency departments. ⋯ Higher levels of symptom distress may help ED personnel in making a decision to evaluate a patient for ACS, and the presence of chest pressure may aid in making a differential diagnosis of ACS.