Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
-
The transgender population presents a unique challenge for the emergency nurse. There are types of surgeries, medications, complications, and differences in laboratory testing that are unique to transgender people. ⋯ Yet, many emergency nurses lack the formal training to care for transgender patients and their families. A complete understanding of the terminology, gender-transforming surgeries, hormonal suppression and augmentation of sexual characteristics, adverse effects, complications of surgeries, and ongoing health risks owing to the altered hormonal milieu and potential risk for acquiring sexually transmitted diseases is important to provide the necessary emergency care for this emerging population.
-
Review
Understanding ED Buprenorphine Initiation for Opioid Use Disorder: A Guide for Emergency Nurses.
Opioid use disorder is a critical public health problem that continues to broaden in scope, adversely affecting millions of people worldwide. Significant efforts have been made to expand access to medication therapy for opioid use disorder, in particular buprenorphine. ⋯ With expanded understanding of opioid use disorder, withdrawal, and available treatments, emergency nurses will be better prepared to deliver and support life-saving treatments for patients and families suffering from this disease. In addition, emergency nurses are well positioned to play an important role in public health advocacy around opioid use disorder, providing critical support for destigmatization and expanded access to safe and efficacious treatments.
-
Review Case Reports
Consideration of Testicular Torsion in Young Males With Abdominal Pain Is Essential: A Case Review.
Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency and requires prompt recognition and treatment. Health care personnel often forget this differential diagnosis in males who present with abdominal pain as their only complaint. ⋯ It is imperative for health care personnel to consider testicular torsion in any male presenting with abdominal pain and to complete a genitourinary examination. The purpose of this case review is to highlight the importance of a genitourinary examination in recognizing testicular torsion.
-
Triage is an important process to determine severity of illness and prioritize patient emergencies while also ensuring patient safety. The emergency nurse must use critical thinking and decision-making to identify life-threatening emergencies and improve patient outcomes. However, the addition of risk screenings and quality improvement initiatives has extended the triage process time, which may increase interruptions and opportunities for errors. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to determine emergency nurse perceptions of current triage processes and categorize essential and nonessential triage components. ⋯ This study identified the perceptions of emergency nurses surrounding the urgency of triage components in the emergency department. Emergency nurses perceived some assessments as essential to determining "sick versus not sick," and other triage components were able to be delayed, streamlining the triage process.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Initial Testing of a Web-Based Intervention to Reduce Adolescent Driver Inattention: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of adolescent death. Inattention to the roadway contributes to crash risk. The objective of this study was to deploy an initial study of a web-based intervention (Let's Choose Ourselves) designed to improve adolescent driver attention to the roadway. ⋯ Although there were no significant effects of Let's Choose Ourselves, self-reported risky driving behaviors increased over time. Further investigation of the relationship between driving experience and increasing inattention to the road in adolescents is warranted.