Australasian emergency nursing journal : AENJ
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Australas Emerg Nurs J · Aug 2014
Patient perceptions of emergency department fast track: a prospective pilot study comparing two models of care.
Emergency department (ED) fast track has been shown to improve patient flow for low complexity presentations.(1) The optimal model of care and service delivery for fast track patients has not been established. ⋯ Most patients were satisfied with ED fast track, irrespective of model of care. Patient satisfaction was greater in the group of patients using the nurse practitioner model of care. Around half of the fast track patients would prefer to see a general practitioner for a similar problem if available nearby.
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Australas Emerg Nurs J · Aug 2014
Shortfalls in residents' transfer documentation: challenges for emergency department staff.
Increasing numbers of residents are transferred from aged care facilities to emergency departments. Frequently, residents arrive with inadequate documentation regarding their presenting complaint or medical history, making it difficult for emergency department staff to make decisions about care. ⋯ Inadequate documentation negatively impacted the resident's journey through the emergency department. There is evidence that inadequate documentation contributes to poor patient outcomes. To minimise the gaps in the transfer documentation regular staff development and quality assurance programs may be required in residential aged care facilities.
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Australas Emerg Nurs J · May 2014
Opportunistic immunisation in the emergency department: a survey of staff knowledge, opinion and practices.
The aim of this study was to identify (a) emergency department staff knowledge, opinion and practices in relation to childhood vaccines and opportunistic immunisation in the emergency department and (b) differences between nursing and medical staff knowledge, opinion and self reported practices. ⋯ Overall, the majority of staff agreed vaccines are safe, effective and necessary. This study highlighted that staff knowledge deficits and misconceptions about vaccines and vaccine management may be barriers to promoting opportunistic immunisation practices in ED.
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Australas Emerg Nurs J · May 2014
Comparative StudyRecognising clinical deterioration in emergency department patients.
The use of rapid response systems such as Medical Emergency Team (MET) improves recognition and response to clinical deterioration in in-patient settings. However, few published studies have investigated use of rapid response systems in Australian emergency departments (ED). ⋯ ED specific criteria for activation of a rapid response system identifies more ED patients at risk of clinical deterioration. The results of this study highlight a need for EDs to implement and evaluate systems to increase recognition of deteriorating patients designed specifically for the emergency care context.
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The Emergency Triage Education Kit (ETEK) was published in 2007. To date, the impact of ETEK has not been measured. The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of ETEK on paediatric triage. ⋯ The introduction of ETEK has had a significant impact in this ED, particularly when combined with education sessions. The use of the PPDT as a framework to guide documentation and triage language facilitated parallel decision-making and auditing, and led to an improvement in inter-rater agreement when applied to children.