ED Nursing Archives – November 1, 2009
November 1, 2009
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If a mistake harms a patient, what happens next in your ED?
About two years ago, a psychiatric patient at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, OR, hung herself with the belt of her robe after being in the ED for an extended period. -
Don't be the one to destroy important forensic evidence
Your clinical assessment and interventions might save a gunshot victim's life, but there is another important concern: that of forensic evidence. -
Use these practices to stop stroke treatment delays
Would it surprise you to learn that delays in treatment for stroke patients in the emergency department haven't changed significantly in the past few years? -
Could your co-worker be diverting pain meds?
An ED nurse recently was arrested on suspicion of stealing fentanyl intended for patients at a Denver hospital. It's not known whether her co-workers suspected the problem and failed to alert management, but unfortunately, that is often the case. -
Do you treat pediatric UTIs inconsistently?
Children with urinary tract infections (UTIs) are treated surprisingly differently across hospitals, according to a new study.1 Researchers looked at 20,892 children between the ages of 1 month and 12 years old hospitalized for UTIs at 25 children's hospitals between 1999 and 2004. They found significant variability for length of stay and tests performed. -
Get a better history from a sick or hurt child
The history given to Melea Anderson, DNP, MS, RN, CNP, critical care practice lead/trauma program manager at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in Minneapolis, seemed straightforward. The parent stated that the child had had ear pain for the last week, with no fever or other symptoms. -
Don't get sued for missing an abdominal aneurysm
A young mother presented to an ED with abdominal pain, tachycardia, and hypotension, but after 45 minutes, she still had not been seen.