ED Nurses Research Articles

Linking MATTERS: Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Emergency Department-Initiated Buprenorphine-Naloxone in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder and Linkage to Long-Term Care

Background In March 2019, our health system launched a project called Linking MATTERS (Medication for Addiction Treatment linkage Through Emergency depaRtmentS) to initiate evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) with buprenorphine-naloxone (B/N) in our emergency departments and connect patients to our primary care sites to continue their addiction care. Methods: Six months after project implementation, we conducted in-depth interviews with frontline providers (n = 14), including emergency physicians and hospitalists, recovery coaches, ED and outpatient nurses, and case managers. We used qualitative thematic analysis to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation and suggestions for improving the project. Results: We identified five salient themes: (1) provider trainings: mandated, rather than optional trainings, facilitated provider uptake; (2) provider attitudes: there was a growing recognition of addiction as a chronic, medical disease and the value of B/N in supporting patients’ recovery, driven by a desire to make a difference in patients’ lives; (3) patient engagement: frontline providers with lived experience of addiction who had designated time (such as recovery coaches) were optimally positioned to engage patients; (4) the linking mechanism: personal connections between ED and outpatient providers, rather than follow-up telephone calls, facilitated linkage; and (5) suggestions for improving the program, including: a physical space/bridge clinic to provide patient linkage, expansion of the recovery coach program, and standardized, evidence-based interdisciplinary trainings for all frontline providers. Conclusion: The insights provided will support further program modifications. Healthcare systems should explore whether the components we identified warrant attention locally based on their unique infrastructure and culture.

The EDIT Survey: Identifying Emergency Department Information Technology Knowledge and Training Gaps.

To review Emergency Department internet connectivity, cyber risk factors, perception of risks and preparedness, security policies, training and mitigation strategies. A validated targeted survey was sent to Canadian ED physicians and nurses between March 5, 2019 and April 28, 2019. There were 349 responses, with physicians making up 84% of the respondents (59% urban teaching, 35% community teaching, 6% community non-teaching hospitals). All had multiple passwords, 93% had more than 1 user account, over 90% had to log repeatedly each workday, 52% had to change their passwords every 3 months, 75% had multiple methods of authentication and 53% reported using a terminal where someone else was already logged in. Passwords were used to review laboratory and radiology data, access medical records and manage patient flow. Majority of the respondents (51%) did not know if they worked with internet linked devices. Only 7% identified an 'air gapped' computer in their facility and 76% used personal devices for patient care, with less than a third of those allowing the IT department to review their device. A total of 26 respondents received no cyber security training. This paper revealed significant computer-human interface dysfunctionality and readiness gaps in the event of an IT failure. These stemmed from poor system design, poor planning and lack of training. The paper identified areas with technical or training solutions and suggested mitigation strategies.

Emergency nursing job satisfaction: Challenges and solutions.

In Brief EDs around the world are reporting low levels of nursing job satisfaction and high levels of burnout. Read about a study aimed at determining the challenges and barriers to implementing interventions that increase the job satisfaction of ED nurses.

Stressors for emergency department nurses: Insights from a cross-sectional survey.

This study aimed to profile stress, exploring whether demographics and/or other factors uniquely contribute to stress for emergency departments nurses. Nursing has been identified as a stressful profession with the potential to have negative impacts on nurses' physical and mental health. Nurses working in emergency departments face unique daily stressors. Cross-sectional survey using a correlational design. The survey was distributed in May 2019 to ED nurses working in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. A total of 242 nurses completed the survey, of which 190 cases were analysed. A standardised scale was used in the survey, the Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS). The sampling method for this research was non-probability purposive sampling. STROBE checklist was used for this manuscript. The results of this study indicated that emergency department nurses experience stress in their work settings. Stress is experienced predominantly because of problems in dealing with patients and their families, high workloads, and uncertainty concerning treatment. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the work-related stress experienced by emergency department nurses. This information can be used to inform the development of strategies to minimise stress for emergency nurses. This study builds on existing, and contributes to new, knowledge about the current stressors for emergency department nurses. The results provide insights into how policies and procedures may need to be adjusted and interventions developed, that can help in reducing stress.

Initial Reliability and Validity testing of the DESTINY Stroke and Large Vessel Screening Tool

Background: Screening is a valuable tool in emergency medicine for triaging, activation of protocols, and resource allocation. The Dallas Emergency Department Screening Tool to Identify Stroke (DESTINY) was developed to screen for all stroke subtypes, with improved sensitivity for posterior circulation stroke and large vessel occlusion (LVO). The main purpose of this study was to evaluate how reliably the tool could be taught and used by ED Nurses.
 Methods: This is Phase 1 of a multi-phase study to evaluate the DESTINY tool. A vascular neurologist retrospectively reviewed 409 stroke code activations between January and December of 2018. Thirty descriptive vignettes were composed: right anterior circulation stroke (n=5), left anterior circulation stroke (n=5), posterior circulation stroke (n=5), TIA and stroke mimic (n=6), non-LVO stroke (n=5), and hemorrhagic stroke (n= 4). Fifteen emergency medicine registered nurses used the DESTINY tool to screen the vignettes following the stroke education and DESTINY training module.
 Results: Individual Pearson Correlation Coefficients (PCC) were calculated for each nurse compared to the vascular neurologist (range: 0.43860 to 0.96966; mean: 0.8746 ± 0.1484). All individual PCC were statistically significant except for one [PCC of 0.43860 (p = 0.0153)]. Cronbach’s Alpha scores were very similar across multiple raters (standardized alpha for nurse raters: 0.9853). Omnibus test to compare DESTINY scores by stroke type demonstrated left anterior LVO and mimic/TIA stroke had few outlier observations, however, poorly differentiated hemorrhagic from ischemic stroke
 Conclusion: As demonstrated by high interrater reliability, the DESTINY tool can be effectively taught to ED nurses using clinical vignettes. The DESTINY tool is good at differentiating non-LVO, anterior LVO, mimics, and TIAs; while the ability to distinguish between anterior LVO/posterior LVO and ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke was sub-optimal. Utilizing the lessons learned in the early version of the DESTINY screening tool we expect that the high-reliability scores will continue to improve in future prospective studies.

Identifying opportunities for health promotion and intervention in the ED

BackgroundED staff assess patients with modifiable risk factors for acute and chronic illness. Health promotion interventions delivered in the ED have been advocated for these patients. The engagement of staff...

External validation of the DIVA and DIVA3 clinical predictive rules to identify difficult intravenous access in paediatric patients

BackgroundIntravenous (IV) peripheral access is often a difficult procedure in the paediatric ED, causing pain and significant distress. Clinical prediction tools including reproducible variables have been developed to help clinicians...

Assessment of Alternative Personal Protective Equipment by Emergency Department Personnel During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Simulation-Based Pilot Study.

Shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers managing the current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is a major, global challenge. In this pilot study, we describe a simulation-based method for evaluating the suitability and acceptability of an alternative biological isolation garment (BIG, a gown or a suit) for clinical use by emergency department (ED) personnel. Using a high-fidelity simulator, participants provided airway management according to the SARS-CoV-2 protocol. A nonvisible fluorescent marker was used as a surrogate marker of contamination. We assessed ultraviolet light visualization of the fluorescent marker after doffing and satisfaction with donning, use during simulation, and doffing. We found that after doffing, markers were not visualized on any of the participants and that the median satisfaction scores of the alternative and standard BIG (sBIG) were 4 [interquartile range (IQR) = 1-5] and 4 (IQR = 2-4), respectively. The results suggest the suitability and acceptability of the alternative BIG (aBIG) for use by ED personnel.

Effect of simulation training on nurse leadership in a shared leadership model for cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the emergency department.

Empowering a senior nurse in a shared leadership role has been proposed as a more efficient set up for the cardiac arrest team in ED. In this model, a senior nurse leads the cardiac arrest algorithm which allows cognitive off-loading of the lead emergency physician. The emergency physician is then more available to perform tasks such as echocardiography and exclude reversible causes. Simulation provides an opportunity for training and practice of this shared leadership model. We hypothesised that a structured simulation training programme that focused on implementing a nurse and doctor shared leadership model for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), would improve leadership and teamwork quality in the setting of cardiac arrest as measured by a Trauma Non-technical Skills (T-NOTECHS) teamwork scale. Fifteen senior ED nurses participated in this pre-interventional post-observational study. Training consisted of a didactic course on team leadership and crisis resource management (CRM) followed by 4 × 10-min resuscitation scenarios with a structured debrief focusing on team leadership skills and CRM. The primary outcome was measured on scenarios 1 and 4 using a modified T-NOTECHS teamwork scale. A statistically significant increase in the T-NOTECHS scale was detected for the measures of leadership (P = 0.0028), CRM (P = 0.0001), adherence to New Zealand Resuscitation Council ALS algorithm (P = 0.0088) and situational awareness (P = 0.0002). The present study shows that a short simulation training programme improved nurse leadership and teamwork performance in the setting of a shared leadership model for CPR in the ED which could easily be replicated in other departments.

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with the Pathway to Excellence® framework

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with the Pathway to Excellence® framework

Violence Towards Nurses Staff at Teaching Hospitals in Mosul City

Background: Defining violence is one of the most common types of abuse at work in health care systems. The U.S. The Emergency Nurses Association found that workplace violence in the health service (3.8) is greater than privacy abuse, and also that the emergency room was especially susceptible. Objectives: To determine the violence against nurses in (ED)at teaching hospital in Mosul city/Iraq Method: To accomplish the study a retrospective research approach (2 years) was used. Sample study (218) nurse, (100) female, while male (118). The instrument developed by (Brislin, 1970) The questionnaire consist of (3) parts: part I includes demographic characteristics (6) variable such as (age, sex, qualification,working place, experience years and experience of ED). Part II: includes the main causes of the physical violence (eight items).Part III: include nonphysical violence (eight items). Results: The study found more than one-third of nurses was subject to physical abuse almost (37.61%), most of them exposure to nonphysical violence (73.3%). that mean the assault direction nurses in ED are widespread. Conclusion: The researcher concluded that the assault direction nurses who work in ED are widespread epically nonphysical violence, the most of the perpetrators of the assault direction the nurses in the EU are the relatives.

Core components of a staff wellness strategy in emergency departments: A clinician-informed nominal group study.

Busy, high-stress EDs prompt many work-based interventions to address staff wellness, with mixed success. The aim of the present study was to enable ED clinicians to systematically identify core components of a work-based strategy to improve their working environment and/or coping. Purposively sampled ED doctors and nurses from one health service were invited to participate in modified nominal group technique. Participants identified, from a pre-defined list, a key ED stressor and then discussed and ratified proposed core components of a work-based strategy to address or ameliorate this stressor. Two nominal group technique sessions were held with a total of 10 participants (n = 7 nurses and n = 3 doctors). Participants proposed several strategies aimed at both individual and organisational levels to address occupational stress and coping, and support staff well-being in the workplace. These included mobile/web-based applications, group counselling sessions, yoga, social activities, team building activities and debriefing. Participants described three key components to promote staff wellness and hence enhance their ability to buffer negative aspects of occupational stress: (i) increased individual and team support; (ii) development of professional resilience; and (iii) maximising opportunities for social connection. Ensuring appropriate systems, services and support for ED staff should be a priority at local departmental, wider organisational and governmental levels. ED clinicians are ideally placed to identify such systems, services and supports. Managers and policy makers can use these findings to inform the implementation of interventions in EDs.

A Glimpse Into the Future.

The novel coronavirus will forever change the world in ways we have yet to realize What will our lives look like when the crisis abates? Will we still shake hands? Will my Italian relatives still kiss me on both cheeks (or just give air kisses)? When this is over there may be fewer elderly, more guns, less movie theaters and greater paranoia in America but perhaps more generosity and kindness as well Most of what will change after the pandemic is beyond my ability to guess However, I see more clearly the changes that will come to Emergency Medicine once the Hot Zone has cooled Let's pull back the curtain of time and glimpse into the future for our specialty after the Time of COVID

LO56: Rate of delirium recognition by nurses and physicians in a cohort of 1584 older emergency department patients: how many would have been sent home?

Introduction: Unrecognized delirium in the ED remains common despite a 3 fold mortality increase for those discharged home. But previous studies have not assessed delirium recognition rate in a multicenter study nor assessed the management plans of ED staff when they fail to recognize delirium. Objectives: To document 1) the rate of delirium recognition by nurses and MDs in a national sample and 2) the intended management plans for patients with unrecognized delirium. Methods: This is a planned sub-study of a randomized clinical trial at 5 EDs in 4 provinces conducted in English and French. We included people ≥ 65 years old. We excluded those with an ED stay < 4 hours, critical illness, visual impairment or from a nursing home. Research assistants (RAs) assessed delirium using the validated Confusion Assessment Method. RAs then asked ED nurses and physicians if the patient had delirium according to their clinical assessment. RAs also asked how confident they were that the patient could be safely discharged home using a 10 point Likert scale. We report proportions and 95% confidence intervals. RAs notified all ED staff of unrecognized CAM + ve patients prior to actual discharge for safety reasons. Results: We recruited 1584 older people; 1496 (92.5%) had complete data. Mean age was 76.5; 49% were female. Nurses performed 1465 delirium assessments. There were 76 CAM + ve patients in our sample (5.2%, 95% CI 4.2 to 6.5%). Nurses recognized delirium in 34/76 (44.7%, 95% CI: 33.3 to 56.6%). MDs assessed 20 CAM + ve patients and recognized the delirium in 10/20 (50.0%, 95% CI: 27.2 to 72.8). Nurses felt that 11/42 patients with unrecognized delirium could be discharged (26.2% 95% CI: 13.9 to 42.0%). Their median confidence in the safety of their plan was 7.0/10. MDs felt that 2/10 patients with unrecognized delirium could be discharged (20.0% 95% CI: 2.5 to 55.0%). Their median confidence in the safety of their plan was 7.5/10. Conclusion: Despite the potential Hawthorne effect raising initial delirium recognition rates above clinicians’ usual practice outside of a study, delirium recognition by both nurses and MDs remains poor in a national sample of ED patients. We also showed that a significant number of these patients could have been discharged with unrecognized delirium. Further research to find novel ways to improve delirium recognition is needed.

The ED Nurse Manager’s Guide to Utilizing SWOT Analysis for Performance Improvement

Angela Hollingsworth is Clinical Assistant Professor, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL. Mark Reynolds is Clinical Assistant Professor, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL.

New Zealand emergency nurses knowledge about forensic science and its application to practice

IntroductionViolence is a major public health problem worldwide. Emergency nurses are often in a unique position to identify, assess, evaluate, and treat these patients, but there is limited forensic knowledge and skills to enable emergency nurses to feel confident to guide their practice in New Zealand. The purpose of this study was to establish the level of forensic knowledge and skills currently known and used by nurses in clinical practice working in New Zealand District Health Boards (DHB)’s emergency departments. The study aimed to develop a tertiary education course based on the needs and the knowledge required, to enable nurses to practice confidently and safely with Forensic patients in the emergency department setting. MethodsA descriptive approach using online questionnaires including both quantitative and qualitative components was sent to all emergency departments in New Zealand DHB’s as well as the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) emergency nurses’ section. Open-ended questions were analysed by thematic analysis. Closed questions were analysed by SPSS version 15 data analysis software (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). Themes identified focused on the knowledge and skills emergency nurses currently possess and the level of specialist education required to ensure patients receive the best medicolegal care. ResultsResults of the questionnaire revealed limited knowledge in being able to correctly identify all forensic patients, insufficient knowledge around evidence preservation and collection and limited knowledge around legislation or legal processes governing clinical care were discovered. However, 84% of all participants felt that having forensic knowledge was important for their practice, indicating a need for increased forensic education. Practice implications indicate that forensic education is warranted, needed and desired among ED nurses within the clinical setting. DiscussionAs forensic patients generally require emergency medical attention, it is important that nurses as part of the front-line first responders have forensic knowledge around preservation and collection of evidence during the provision of medical care. It was found that, emergency nurses do not have enough knowledge around forensic issues indicating that forensic education is warranted, needed and desired among ED nurses within the clinical setting. The study also provides support for the implementation of tertiary forensic science nursing postgraduate study in New Zealand.

ED nurses lead groundbreaking project to improve survival rates in Liverpool

ED nurses lead groundbreaking project to improve survival rates in Liverpool

The effect of interprofessional education on healthcare providers' intentions to engage in interprofessional shared decision‐making: Perspectives from the theory of planned behaviour

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of interprofessional education on healthcare providers' intentions to engage in an interprofessional shared decision-making (IP-SDM) process at emergency department and exploring the affecting factors on their intentions. We conducted the study through a sequential explanatory mixed method (quantitative-qualitative) design. All ED residents and nurses from two university hospitals were invited and assigned to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group was exposed to case-based learning sessions conducted by applying interprofessional strategies. The intentions of the participants engaged in IP-SDM were assessed before and 2 weeks after the intervention by a questionnaire designed based on the theory of planned behaviour. The questionnaire scores were compared between the intervention and control groups using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Partial eta-squared (η2 ) was used for effect size calculations in ANCOVA. Subsequently, to explore the affecting factors in engagement in IP-SDM, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews. The inductive content analysis approach by Elo and Kyngas was employed to analyze the qualitative data. Out of 117 potentially eligible healthcare professionals, 113 completed the study in the intervention (n = 55) and control (n = 58) groups. The results showed that the difference between the mean scores of the learners in the intervention (1.41 ± 0.27) and control (0.80 ± 0.52) groups was statistically significant (P-value = .00001). The main effect of the intervention and a large educational effect size for the intervention were found to be statistically significant F (1, 11) = 180.54, P-value = .00001, η2 = 0.62. The qualitative data analysis showed two main categories of "team-based facilitators" and "contextual challenges" as the main affecting factors in the engagement of participant in IP-SDM. Our findings suggested that applying interprofessional education strategies could improve the learners' intention to engage in IP-SDM. Moreover, the results showed that the interprofessional collaboration among team members, adherence to the team-based care principles, and administrative support at different levels could be the influential factors the intentions of the participants to engage in IP-SDM.

Integrating A Clinical Decision Support Reminder To Improve Blood Pressure Reassessment For Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension

Background: Emergency department clinicians often overlook asymptomatic hypertension (HTN). Clinical decision support can help improve adherence to the emergency nursing and emergency medicine clinical policy for asymptomatic HTN. While the policy indicates referral for all adults with two or more elevated blood pressures, less than 10% of patients are referred. We sought to determine the efficacy of an electronic health record clinical reminder on nursing (RN) reassessment of blood pressure (BP) for hypertensive patients. Methods: We conducted a 2-arm, pilot RCT, at an academic medical center in New York City. 107 RNs were randomized to the control group or to the intervention of a 'Best Practice Alert' (BPA) reminding him/her to recheck the BP in adult patients with an initial BP reading ≥140/90 mmHg. Descriptive statistics that included univariate and bivariate analyses were used to obtain adjusted measures of association between the intervention and control group. Results: RNs were more likely to repeat BP after receiving a BPA alert (56%) compared to RNs who did not receive an alert (44%) (OR=2.3, CI 2.1-2.5; p<.001). Patients who received BP reassessment were more likely to be triaged category 4 (OR 2.88, CI 1.81-4.59, p=.0001); age>75 years (OR 1.47; CI 1.07-2.03; p=.02); had Stage II HTN (OR 3.48; CI 2.63-4.59, p=.0001) and an ED length of stay of 3-4 hours (OR 5.85; CI 4.43-7.73; p=.0001). Conclusion: The BPA alert was effective in increasing BP reassessment by ED nurses. The findings of this study will help us translate this evidence ED practices.

170 Impact of an Emergency Nurse Geriatric Specialist on Care Referrals for Seniors Seen in the Emergency Department

The rapid growth in the senior population age 65 years and older will present major challenges in health care in the coming decades. Efforts to address this demographic change include the development of the “Age Friendly” Health System initiative broadly, as well as the ACEP Geriatric ED (GED) Accreditation program specific to emergency medicine. One such effort is the use of ED nurses specially trained in geriatrics to screen and referral older patients for underlying health needs regardless of visit reason.