Emergency nursing
Emergency nurses also tend to patients with acute alcohol and/or drug intoxication, psychiatric and behavioral problems and those who have been raped.
[1] The rule of thumb was first in, first served, but there were many cases where some people were in more need of emergency care than others, and as the situation became more intolerable, one of the greatest medical developments came into perspective: triage.
The first time triage was referred to during a non-disaster situation was at Yale New Haven Hospital, Connecticut, United States in 1963, and since then has become developed and more defined.
Emergency nurses must be able to sit, stand, walk, reach, squat and lift throughout their eight- or twelve-hour shift.
They must understand principles of human development, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, They must also have a working knowledge of the many legal issues impacting health care such as consent, handling of evidence, mandatory reporting of child and elder abuse, and involuntary psychiatric holds.
Therefore, this emergency nurse must be skilled at rapid, accurate physical examination and early recognition of life-threatening conditions.
Nurses who specialize in palliative care are sometimes utilized to bring rapid-symptom relief and timely goals-of-care discussions to patients presenting to the emergency department.
[5] Similar programs exist which rely heavily on social workers and chaplains for the early introduction of palliative care in the hospital encounter.
[6] A specialist nurse will independently assess, diagnose, investigate, and treat a wide range of common accidents and injuries working autonomously without supervision by medical staff.
An advanced practice nurse assesses, diagnoses, and treats a variety of common illnesses, injuries and disease processes in emergency care settings.
ENPs are trained in advanced nursing and medical skills such as x-ray interpretation, ophthalmic slit lamp examination, suturing, local and regional anesthesia, abscess incision and drainage, advanced airway techniques, fracture reduction, and casting and splinting.
Nurses may be required to work outside their scope, causing frustration and increasing the opportunities for occupational health hazards.
Emergency nurses need to have basic knowledge of most specialty areas, to be able to work under pressure, communicate effectively with many types of patients, collaborate with a variety of health care providers and prioritize the tasks that must be performed.
[12] The certification is valid for four years, and can be renewed either by passing another examination, or by attesting that the nurse has completed 100 continuing education units (CEUs) in the specialty.
