Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Charge nurses are shift leaders whose role includes managing nursing resources and facilitating appropriate patient care; in emergency departments, the charge nurse role requires both clinical and leadership skills to facilitate the flow of patients, while ensuring patient and staff safety. Literature on orientation and specific training is notably sparse. This study aimed to evaluate the content and process of core competency training and identify evaluation and implementation strategies necessary to improve charge nurse performance in United States emergency departments. ⋯ These findings have the potential to support a standardized approach to emergency charge nurse training and evaluation focusing on communication skills, clinical decision making, and situational awareness to facilitate safe and effective nurse-patient assignment and emergency department throughput.
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Sexual assault nurse examiners are crucial care providers in cases of sexual assault. However, it is not clear whether sexual assault nurse examiner availability differs throughout the 13 states that comprise the Appalachian region of the United States. Therefore, this cross-sectional analysis identified sexual assault nurse examiner availability in 13 states and determined differences in availability by both county-level Appalachian status and county-level rurality status. ⋯ These data support previous literature on the need for stronger sexual assault nurse examiner programs in rural areas in the United States. Future research should take sexual assault prevalence into account to determine whether local sexual assault nurse examiner access needs, as well as appropriate support for sexual assault nurse examiners, are being met throughout Appalachian states.
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Human trafficking is a heinous crime and violation of human rights affecting between 25 and 27 million adults and children globally each year. Current immigration and refugee policy could exacerbate the human trafficking public health crisis. Health care providers working in emergency department and urgent care settings interact with human trafficking victims and provide life-changing care. Research identifies a significant need for coordinated, consistent, and standardized education on human trafficking. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of online educational training in human trafficking on the knowledge and self-confidence of registered nurses and nurse practitioners working in the emergency department and urgent care settings in New York. ⋯ Results in this study demonstrate the need for increased standardized education regarding HT for frontline health care workers.
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Substance misuse in the United States has continuously proven to be a public health issue. The impact of substance use disorder and the injury and illness it produces creates challenges in the public health sector. This quality improvement project aimed to increase screening and referral rates in a rural emergency department. ⋯ It is possible for substance use disorder screening and referral to be implemented in every emergency department across the nation and beyond to help identify patients struggling with substance misuse and refer them to the appropriate treatment upon discharge. Substance use disorder screening and referral are an evidence-based method, and sufficient evidence supports the current practice of emergency departments implementing routine substance use disorder screening and referral as standard of care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Does Mixing Activated Charcoal With Cola Improve Tolerability Without Affecting Pharmacokinetics? A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial.
Activated charcoal is the most common form of gastrointestinal decontamination used for the poisoned patient. One limitation to its use is patient tolerability due to palatability. Some recommend mixing activated charcoal with cola to improve palatability. An important question is whether mixing activated charcoal with cola affects the ability of the activated charcoal to adsorb xenobiotic. ⋯ The absorption of acetaminophen in an overdose model is no different when participants received activated charcoal alone or a cola-activated charcoal mixture as suggested by area under the curve. In this small study, there was no difference in preference for activated charcoal alone or a cola-activated charcoal mixture across a range of palatability questions. On an individual level, some participants preferred the activated charcoal-cola mixture, and some preferred the activated charcoal alone.