Emergency Care Practitioners Research Articles

Can emergency care practitioners differentiate between an avoided emergency department attendance and an avoided admission?

BackgroundAfter a 999 call to the ambulance service, there is no ‘gold standard’ for determining whether the actions of an emergency care practitioner (ECP) result in a patient avoiding attendance...

Patient satisfaction and outcome using emergency care practitioners in New Zealand

A patient satisfaction survey was undertaken in the Kapiti District of the Wellington Region to ascertain patients' experience and opinions of New Zealand's first extended care paramedic (ECP) service before consideration is given to extending it to other locations within the region. Patient outcomes were also analysed for 1 week following ECP care. One hundred patients, 50 attended by ECPs and 50 by standard emergency ambulance service paramedics, were interviewed by an independent assessor, either in person or by phone according to patient preference. The questionnaire was aimed at comparing the experience of both groups of patients, dividing them into those treated at home and those transferred to the ED. ED and general practice records were then reviewed to determine whether the ECP-treated patients attended either facility within 7 days and why. Patients were very satisfied with their experience of both groups of paramedics but expressed a clear desire to be treated at home if possible. Of the 50 ECP-treated patients, 11 were transferred directly to the ED. Only one clinical complication arose over the next 7 days in those treated in the community: a seizure in a patient with refractory epilepsy. The avoidance of unnecessary transfers to hospital is beneficial to patients, the ambulance service and the ED. This study demonstrates that patients are very satisfied with their assessment and treatment by ECPs, endorsing the proposal that the scheme should be extended across the Wellington Region, and perhaps New Zealand.

The role of the emergency care practitioner in the provision of health advice and health promotion to patients within the UK National Health Service

The role of the emergency care practitioner (ECP) was developed in the UK National Health Service in 1999. ECPs are qualified paramedics with additional training in assessment and examination skill...

A pragmatic quasi-experimental multi-site community intervention trial evaluating the impact of Emergency Care Practitioners in different UK health settings on patient pathways (NEECaP Trial)

BackgroundEmergency Care Practitioners (ECPs) are operational in the UK in a variety of emergency and urgent care settings. However, there is little evidence of the effectiveness of ECPs within these...

Emergency care practitioners not as effective with children

Emergency care practitioners not as effective with children

Improving end of life care on the front line

Emergency Care Practitioners (ECPs) are often asked to respond to 999 calls from patients that are dying at home. If relatives caring for loved ones at the end of life...

Prescribing for children

Many children receive urgent care within emergency departments. Children are at increased risk from the use of medicines for a number of reasons, including the need to calculate a weight or age-based dose or administration of a fraction or proportion of an adult formulation of medicine. Aspects of good practice from the English National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young People and Maternity Services are highlighted. The importance of good medicines reconciliation is discussed. Websites that support emergency care practitioners to address medicines adherence and counselling of parents and children on use of medicines are presented. The drug related needs of children and young people must be assessed on an individual basis. Guidelines are outlined to support safe prescribing and medicines administration.

Launching ADVANCE care planning as a collabrative approach

A multi-organisational/professional project group formed to implement advance care planning, to include the Preferred Priorities of Care document. An early outcome indicated the need to develop a communication pathway and...

Quality and safety of care provided by emergency care practitioners

BackgroundThe emergency care practitioner (ECP) role in the UK health service involves paramedic and nurse practitioners with advanced training to assess and treat minor illness and injury. Available evidence suggests...

A community intervention trial to evaluate emergency care practitioners in the management of children

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of emergency care practitioners (ECPs) on the patient care pathway for children presenting with minor conditions in unscheduled care settings.DesignA pragmatic quasi-experimental multi-site community intervention trial...

01 War and peace? strategies by emergency care practitioners to integrate into health care teams in the UK

BackgroundEmergency Care Practitioners (ECPs) arose from an ambulance-service initiative to provide an alternative response to patients who may not need transporting to hospital. ECPs are recruited from paramedic, nursing, and...

01 War and peace? strategies by emergency care practitioners to integrate into health care teams in the UK

BackgroundEmergency Care Practitioners (ECPs) arose from an ambulance-service initiative to provide an alternative response to patients who may not need transporting to hospital. ECPs are recruited from paramedic, nursing, and...

Position statement: Pre-hospital rapid sequence intubation

The Professional Board for Emergency Care at the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has approved pre-hospital rapid sequence intubation (RSI) as part of the scope of practice for registered emergency care practitioners (ECPs). RSI is an advanced airway management process that facilitates endotracheal intubation in adults and children. Features of this technique include pre-oxygenation, rapid pharmacological induction of unconsciousness, and neuromuscular blockade to enable the placement of an endotracheal tube. RSI has become widespread as the procedure of choice for definitive airway management by pre- and in-hospital emergency care personnel worldwide. In the emergency department setting, RSI is superior to intubation with deep sedation, a technique not incorporating pharmacological paralysis as part of the intubation sequence. For this reason, the implementation of RSI in the pre-hospital environment is supported, provided that it is practised within an appropriate framework of clinical governance.

Procedural Applications of Bedside Emergency Ultrasound

Bedside emergency ultrasound (EUS) has been used for decades by emergency physicians and has recently begun to gain widespread acceptance in the pediatric emergency medicine arena. The use of bedside EUS for procedural assistance is a rapidly growing trend in pediatric emergency care. Its use for procedural purposes is aimed at not only improving the success rates of the procedure itself but also reducing complications and, thus, maximizing patient safety. The need to limit these unfavorable consequences resulting from necessary procedures is a powerful force, driving placement of EUS in the pediatric emergency department. Researchers continue to identify new applications for this exciting technology as practitioners are gaining expertise with proper training and education. As the range of procedural applications expands, the pediatric emergency care practitioner will need to become familiar with this evolving technology.

Catering for a variety of needs.

Emergency Nurse aims to educate a wide range of emergency care practitioners, from those who have joined the profession recently to those who have many years' experience.

Do patients seen by ECPs need an early warning?

Journal of Paramedic PracticeVol. 3, No. 1 Spotlight on ResearchDo patients seen by ECPs need an early warning?Matt CatterallMatt CatterallSearch for more papers by this authorMatt CatterallPublished Online:16 Aug 2013https://doi.org/10.12968/jpar.2011.3.1.44aAboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References Gray JT, Challen K, Oughton L (2010) Does the pandemic medical early warning score system correlate with disposition decisions made at patient contact by emergency care practitioners? EMJ 27(12): 943–7 Crossref, Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 13 January 2011Volume 3Issue 1ISSN (print): 1759-1376ISSN (online): 2041-9457 Metrics History Published online 16 August 2013 Published in print 13 January 2011 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

Wound Care and Laceration Repair for Nurse Practitioners in Emergency Care

This is Part II of a 2-part series on wound care and laceration repair for advanced practice nurses. In Part I, the phases and categories of wound healing were outlined. The factors that affected wound healing were also discussed along with an approach for systematic wound management. Patient assessment, special circumstances involving underlying structures, and foreign bodies were also reviewed. Patient preparation, including wound cleansing, irrigation, scrubbing, and debridement were also covered along with anesthetic and analgesic tips and techniques for advanced practice nurses (APNs) in emergency care. In Part II, wound closure (e.g., sutures, staples, and adhesives) and wound closure techniques are discussed along with the pertinent aftercare instructions for patients with these wounds. Implications for APNs caring for patients with wounds in emergency care are also presented in this article.

Wound Care and Laceration Repair for Nurse Practitioners in Emergency Care

Wound Care and Laceration Repair for Nurse Practitioners in Emergency Care

Use of Dermabond® adhesive for wound closure at the scene

Topical skin adhesives (TSA) are commonly used in hospital accident and emergency (A&E) settings for the closure of simple, minor lacerations. An observational study was conducted in a UK ambulance trust to assess health resource use associated with the management of simple lacerations when using Dermabond® TSA at the accident scene, compared with its use in A&E after transportation of the patient to hospital (standard of care (SOC)). A decision tree model mapped both treatment pathways to establish full costs to the NHS. Call-out times and staff interventions were recorded. Treatment of patients at the scene with Dermabond® TSA reduced the call-out time (mean reduction 32.64%, median reduction 31.91%). Total cost per patient pathway for patients treated at the scene was £200.81 with Dermabond® TSA and £611.43 for patients receiving SOC. Treatment at the scene with Dermabond® TSA resulted in a total saving to the Merseyside Ambulance Service of £345 327 over the 5-month study. The use of Dermabond® TSA by emergency care practitioners at the scene for the closure of simple, minor lacerations is acceptable, cost effective, and provides NHS trusts with the opportunity to work towards government initiatives for reducing the number of patients treated within the acute hospital setting.

Does the pandemic medical early warning score system correlate with disposition decisions made at patient contact by emergency care practitioners?

ObjectiveTo assess the performance of the pandemic medical early warning score (PMEWS) in a cohort of adult patients seen in the community by emergency care practitioners (ECP) and its correlation...