International journal of trauma nursing
-
A mission of the Navy Nurse Corps is to deploy medical support for military forces on short notice. Navy nurses must possess a working knowledge of trauma management, but meeting this clinical experience is a challenge. Peacetime military hospitals do not routinely care for severely injured patients. This article describes how the Navy established a partnership with a Level 1 Trauma Center, the role and expectations for both Navy and civilian nurses, and an evaluation of the experience.
-
Hypothermia is a life-threatening condition and can be a significant comorbid factor in a trauma patient. Certain social and medical characteristics can put a person at high risk for hypothermia, and special care must be provided to prevent and treat lower than normal body temperatures. In this article, a literature review was used to describe etiologies, assessment, treatment, and complications of hypothermia in the trauma patient.
-
Critically injured patients benefit from the care of experienced, knowledgeable nurses. The state of Oregon addressed this need by requiring nurses to be a component of the trauma resuscitation team in trauma centers throughout the state. A description of how one level I trauma center created a unique position that would ensure that properly trained nurses were available for trauma patients is presented. The process of developing the position and the progress that the nurses have made is discussed.
-
Cardiac arrest in the pediatric patient is an infrequent event. Although an emergency department thoracotomy is a potentially lifesaving procedure, it should be used in only a small, select group of patients. A literature review was conducted to determine the indications, surgical techniques, emergency procedures, and nursing responsibilities associated with an emergency department thoracotomy.