Australasian emergency nursing journal : AENJ
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Australas Emerg Nurs J · Feb 2014
Observational StudyImplications of the emergency department triage environment on triage practice for clients with a mental illness at triage in an Australian context.
The practice environment of the emergency department (ED) refers to both the people and physical factors (architecture) in the environment in which health care is provided. ED triage practice environments are the very places where caring or the delivery of health care often begins. This paper examines the implications of the emergency department triage practice environment on the triage practice of nurses who triage clients with a mental illness. ⋯ Tensions arise when the architectural environment of an ED triage area affects client behaviour, the capacity to provide optimal client care and the ability to conduct a triage assessment that obtains the best data possible. Understanding the impact of the ED triage practice environment on people with a mental illness facilitates an understanding of how people from this client group can be better supported in a complex and busy ED environment.
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Australas Emerg Nurs J · Feb 2014
Patient characteristics and institutional factors associated with those who "did not wait" at a South East Queensland Emergency Department: who are those who "did not wait" in ED?
Patients who do not wait in Emergency Departments (ED) are a key concern for healthcare consumers, providers and policymakers. ⋯ Understanding the characteristics of patients who DNW enables strategies to be considered and implemented to manage and mitigate both the potential clinical risk to patients and the financial implications for health care institutions.
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Australas Emerg Nurs J · Nov 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialNurse initiated reinsertion of nasogastric tubes in the emergency department: a randomised controlled trial.
Patients sometimes present to the Emergency Department (ED) for reinsertion of nasogastric tubes (NGT) because of tube dislodgement. They usually need to wait for a long time to see a doctor before the NGT can be reinserted. This study aimed at investigating the feasibility of nurse initiated NGT insertion for these patients in order to improve patient outcome. ⋯ Patients can undergo NGT reinsertion significantly faster by adopting a nurse initiated reinsertion of NGT (NIRNGT) protocol.
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Australas Emerg Nurs J · Nov 2013
Emergency and palliative care nurses' levels of anxiety about death and coping with death: a questionnaire survey.
Caring for dying patients and their families presents many challenges, and may be negatively affected by nurses' Fear of Death. This study investigates attitudes of emergency and palliative care nurses towards death and dying. ⋯ Nurses generally held positive attitudes towards death and dying. Participants could cope with caring for dying patients, but were significantly less comfortable coping with patients' family members. Nurses should be aware of the impact their attitude towards death may have on providing supportive nursing care for the dying.
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Australas Emerg Nurs J · Nov 2013
Mortality of interhospital transfers originating from an emergency department in Perth, Western Australia.
Interhospital transfer (IHT) is an integral part of emergency practice and required to access specialist care. ⋯ Multiple factors influence mortality following IHT from an ED. Awareness of these factors helps to optimise risk reduction. The limited infrastructure and resourcing available in non-tertiary hospitals are important considerations.