Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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This is a revision of the previous American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement titled "Patient Safety in the Emergency Care Setting" and is the first joint policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Emergency Nurses Association to address pediatric patient safety in the emergency care setting. Caring for children in the emergency setting can be prone to medical errors because of a number of environmental and human factors. The emergency department has frequent workflow interruptions, multiple care transitions, and barriers to effective communication. ⋯ It is critical that all emergency departments, including general emergency departments who care for the majority of ill and injured children, understand the unique safety issues related to children. Furthermore, it is imperative that all emergency departments practice patient safety principles, support a culture of safety, and adopt best practices to improve safety for all children seeking emergency care. This policy statement outlines the recommendations necessary for emergency departments to minimize pediatric medical errors and to provide safe care for children of all ages.
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The misuse of and addiction to opioids are a national public health crisis. The complexity of delivering patient care in emergency departments exposes nurses to stressful work situations with complex patient loads and increasing levels of compassion fatigue. Emergency nurses were asked about their feelings of compassion fatigue while caring for patients with opioid use and/or substance use disorders. ⋯ These emergency nurses identified 3 areas to improve their compassion: improved management support with encouragement across all work shifts, debriefing opportunities, and more education. Fostering a high level of self-awareness and understanding of how the work environment influences personal well-being are necessary strategies to avoid the frustrations and negative emotional responses associated with compassion fatigue.
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The purpose of this study is to understand the pre-examination worries of individuals who experience sexual assault, and whether those worries were experienced or resolved during a telehealth-enabled, sexual assault nurse examiner-led sexual assault examination. ⋯ These findings have implications for emergency department support for sexual assault nurse examiner-led care and public health messaging to demystify sexual assault care, allay fears, and highlight care benefits.
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With aging, physical and cognitive changes can affect driving safety. Emergency nurses can provide education for seniors that can create awareness of these changes and ways to mitigate the changes, allowing the older driver to remain independent and a safer driver.