Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Sickle cell disease is associated with frequent vaso-occlusive episode and emergency department visits. Our group developed (1) a vaso-occlusive episode treatment algorithm based on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommendations, and (2) a case management referral form to identify social behavioral health needs of patients with sickle cell disease in the emergency department. The aims of this project were to (1) disseminate the vaso-occlusive episode algorithm and case management referral form, and (2) to evaluate the individual provider-reported awareness, use, and preferred method of access to each tool among emergency department providers in North Carolina. ⋯ This study can be used to inform future strategies on dissemination of evidence-based tools to emergency department providers.
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The emergency department is a care environment in which indwelling urinary catheters are placed frequently; however, the significance of the role of the emergency department in catheter-associated urinary tract infection prevention has been overlooked. The use of an external female urinary catheter is an alternative to placing an indwelling urinary catheter for female patients in the emergency department who are incontinent of urine or are immobile. The purpose was to describe the implementation of an initiative to decrease the number of indwelling urinary catheters and increase the use of external urinary female catheters in non-critically ill women who visited the emergency department at a 451-bed Magnet-designated community hospital in the Southeast. ⋯ A total of 187 external catheters were used in place of indwelling catheters in female patients over a 3-month period. No skin irritation or breakdown was observed. This project demonstrated the initial staff acceptability and feasibility of external female urinary catheter use in the ED setting.
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New Zealand has an ethnically diverse population and continues to host immigrants from different countries. The present study aimed to examine the factors associated with ED use among new Asian immigrants in New Zealand. ⋯ Asthma and perceived health status were the 2 key factors associated with ED use among new Asian immigrants in New Zealand. ED use among new Asian immigrants encompassed both chronic health conditions and mental health indicators.
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The accuracy of an initial ED triage decision has been reported to drive the clinical trajectory for ED patients, and, therefore, this assessment is critical to patient safety. The Emergency Severity Index-a 5-point score assigned by a triage nurse and based on disease acuity, patient potential for decompensation, and anticipated resource use-is used both in the United States and internationally. In the US, the Emergency Severity Index is used by up to 94% of the academic medical center emergency departments. In 2020, the Emergency Nurses Association acquired the intellectual property rights to the Emergency Severity Index and is responsible for its maintenance and improvement. ⋯ The research priorities as set through the use of this modified Delphi process align well with current gaps in the literature. Research in these areas should be encouraged to improve the understanding of educational, environmental, and process challenges to emergency nurses' triage decisions and accuracy of Emergency Severity Index assignments.