Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Injury Outcomes in African American and African Caribbean Women: The Role of Intimate Partner Violence.
Intimate partner violence has been linked to increased and repeated injuries, as well as negative long-term physical and mental health outcomes. This study examines the prevalence and correlates of injury in women of African descent who reported recent intimate partner violence and control subjects who were never abused. ⋯ Injuries related to intimate partner violence may be part of the explanation for the negative long-term health outcomes. In this study, partner violence was associated with past-year ED use, hospitalization, and multiple injuries. Emergency nurses need to assess for intimate partner violence when women report with an injury to ensure that the violence is addressed in order to prevent repeated injuries and negative long-term health outcomes.
-
Multicenter Study
Implementation of a Comprehensive Intervention to Reduce Physical Assaults and Threats in the Emergency Department.
The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of workplace violence (WPV) against ED providers by patients and visitors. ⋯ This study emphasizes the risk of WPV to ED workers and highlights the need for prevention programs. Future research needs to be conducted to test additional comprehensive WPV prevention interventions.
-
Multicenter Study
An Examination of ESI Triage Scoring Accuracy in Relationship to ED Nursing Attitudes and Experience.
This research was designed to examine if there is a difference in nurse attitudes and experience for those who assign Emergency Severity Index (ESI) scores accurately and those who do not assign ESI scores accurately. Studies that have used ESI scoring discussed the role of experience, but have not specifically addressed how the amount of experience and attitude towards patients in triage affect the triage nurse's decision-making capabilities. ⋯ Based on the high level of liability the triage area presents, special consideration needs to be made when deciding which nurse should be assigned to that area. The evidence produced from this study should provide some reassurance to ED managers and nurses alike that nurses with minimal ED experience and a working understanding of the ESI 5-level triage algorithm possess the knowledge and the capacity to safely and appropriately triage patients in the emergency department.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Can emergency nurses' triage skills be improved by online learning? Results of an experiment.
Emergency nurses deal with increasing complexity of patients. In 2003 there were over 14 million ED visits in Canada. The Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) is a 5-level system used by ED triage nurses to classify patients. There is a need for standardized training for all triage systems. In an effort to improve access to CTAS training, a 6-week Web-based CTAS workshop was developed. We determined the impact of Web learning on the accuracy of the triage skills of registered nurses (RNs). ⋯ Web learning can help professionals maintain competency and support professional practice. Further research is needed to provide evidence for best practices in E-learning for RNs. The accuracy of the RN's triage assessment impacts patient health, hospital accreditation, and funding.
-
Multicenter Study
Implementing clinical research in the high acuity setting of the emergency department.
Clinical research in the emergency department provides supporting evidence needed for the development of practice guidelines, such as door-to-needle and door-to-balloon times for treatment of acute coronary syndromes, and is vital to improvements in patient outcomes. The purpose of this article is to describe barriers and lessons learned in launching a multisite clinical research study of symptoms of acute coronary syndromes in the emergency department. ⋯ Important strategies to overcome barriers were developed, including identification and support of unit champions in emergency nursing and medicine; minor protocol modifications to improve enrollment goals; development of specific written expectations, roles, research protocols, and algorithms; and sharing successes among sites.