Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Veterans die by suicide at higher rates than nonveterans. Given that the emergency department is often the first point of entry to healthcare following a suicide attempt, it would be beneficial for community providers to have knowledge of the characteristics, medical issues, and effective treatments most often associated with those having served in the military to ensure guideline concordant and quality suicide care. This study aimed to identify assessment and referral practices of emergency departments at rural community hospitals related to care for suicidal veterans and explore the feasibility and acceptability of identifying veterans in need of postdischarge aftercare. ⋯ Best practices for suicide assessment and management of veterans exist; however, challenges specific to the emergency department regarding staff training and engaging the community to effectively link at-risk veterans to needed care hinder implementation. Veteran-inclusive assessment and intervention practices could enhance the quality of care provided in community emergency departments.
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Triage, a process to determine illness severity, is implemented by emergency nurses to prioritize treatment and provide care for a maximum number of patients using limited resources. The competency of emergency nurses and a highly reliable triage are crucial for the provision of emergency care. Pediatric patients are different from adult patients in certain aspects, such as growth-phase characteristics, communication ability, and the onset of disease; these aspects often pose challenges during their primary triage. This study explored how emergency nurses triage pediatric patients using the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale. ⋯ The experience and proficiency of emergency nurses are essential factors for the effective triage of pediatric patients. Our findings qualitatively elucidate different ways of understanding pediatric triage and indicate the need for pediatric triage education programs.
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COVID-19 has led to exacerbated levels of traumatic stress and moral distress experienced by emergency nurses. This study contributes to understanding the perspectives of emergency nurses' perception of psychological trauma during COVID-19 and protective mechanisms used to build resilience. ⋯ The consequences of the pandemic on nurses are likely to be long lasting. Nurses need to mend and rebuild their identity as a nurse. The solutions are not quick fixes but rather will require fundamental changes in the profession, health care organizations, and the society. These changes will require a strategic vision, sustained commitment, and leadership to accomplish.
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Unrealistic patient expectations for wait times can lead to poor satisfaction. This study's dual purpose was: (1) to address disparities between patients' perceived priority level and the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) assigned by emergency room triage nurses; and (2) to evaluate validity and reliability of using the Patient Perception of Priority to be Seen Survey (PPPSS) to investigate patient expectations for emergency department urgency. ⋯ We recommend the PPPSS for nurses and researchers to quickly assess patient expectations. Additionally, promoting patient understanding through a scripted educational strategy about the ESI system may also result in improvements in communication between patients and nurses.
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Emergency nurses are on the front line of patient care for suicidal persons, yet many nurses report feeling unprepared to effectively manage suicidal patients owing to a lack of suicide-specific training. The purpose of this study was to examine the suicide-specific training experiences of emergency nurses and evaluate how training relates to burnout, confidence, and comfort working with suicidal patients. ⋯ Evidence-based/expert-delivered professional training in suicide intervention is associated with improved confidence, comfort, and perceived ability to care for suicidal patients and lower burnout. Providing evidence-based suicide intervention training may improve quality of care for suicidal patients by improving emergency nurse confidence and comfort for treating these high-risk patients.