EMERGENCY

NURSING
 Emergency Nursing is a nursing
specialty concerned with the
care of patients who are
experiencing emergencies or
who are critically ill or injured.
 concept of emergency nursing

The emergency nurse has had specialized

education, training, and experience to gain
expertise in assessing and identifying patients’
health care problems in crisis situations
The emergency nurse establishes priorities,
monitors and continuously assesses acutely ill
and injured patients, supports and attends to
families, supervises allied health personnel,
and teaches patients and families within a
time-limited,high-pressured care environment
Nursing interventions are accomplished
interdependently, in consultation with or
under the direction of a licensed physician or
nurse practitioner
The emergency health care staff members
work as a team in performing the highly
technical, hands-on skills required to care for
patients in an emergency situation
 Nursing assessment must be continuous, and
nursing diagnoses change with the patient’s
condition.
 Scope of emergency nursing
scope of emergency nursing encompasses
management of patients across the life span –
from birth through death- and all the health
conditions that prompt a person of any age to
seek emergency care
CORE COMPETENCIES

Emergency nursing practice requires that

nurses, be skilled in patient assessment
Priority setting and clinical decision making ,
multitasking and good communication.
A sound knowledge is essential
Flexibility and adaptability are vital traits
because situation within the ED , as well as
individual patients , can change rapidly
 TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION
Two general types of certification are
referred to in emergency nursing practice ‘’
the certification that marks successful
completion of a particular course of study ;
and emergency nursing specialty certification
and completion of ACLS and BLS course
 Functions of emergency care
 Immediate resuscitation
 First aid
 Emergency investigation
 Hospitalization
 Referrals to specific specialty
 To carry out medico legal formalities
 To be prepared for mass casualties in the event
of a disaster situation
 Principles of emergency management

• Early detection
• Early reporting
• Early response
• Care during Transportation
• Transport to definitive care
PRINCIPLES OF EMERGENCY NURSING

1 TRIAGE ( emergent , urgent and nonurgent

categories)

2 ANTICIPATION
 3 Assessment
Primary Survey

The patient will be rapidly assessed, treated,

and referred to the appropriate setting for
ongoing care ,it should take no longer than 60
seconds to perform
• Airway with cervical spine stabilization and or
immobilization
• Breathing
• Circulation,
• Disability
• Exposure
Secondary survey
Full set of vital signs
Focused adjuncts( continously monitor ECG,O2)
Facilitate family presence
Give comfort measures
History and head to toe assessment
 4 Disposition
At the conclusion of the assessment the
physician must make a decision regarding
patients disposition
( where the patient should go after being
discharged from the emergency department)
 ISSUES IN EMERGENCY CARE

Emergency nursing is demanding because of

the diversity of conditions and situations that,
if not unique to the ED
 legal issues
 occupational health and safety risks for ED
staff
 challenge of providing holistic care in the
context of a fast-paced
Technology-driven environment in which
serious illness
death are confronted on a daily basis
Documentation of Consent
The patient must consent to invasive
procedures (eg, angiography, lumbar
puncture) unless he or she is unconscious or in
critical condition and unable to make
decisions
Limiting Exposure to Health Risks
All emergency health care providers should
adhere strictly to standard precautions for
minimizing exposure.
Providing Holistic Care
Assessment of the patient and family’s
psychological function includes evaluating
emotional expression, degree of anxiety, and
cognitive functioning
Patient-focused interventions
 caring for the patient should act confidently
and competently to relieve anxiety.
 Reacting and responding to the patient in a
warm manner promotes a sense of security.
 Explanations should be given on a level that
the patient can understand
Family-focused interventions
 The family is kept informed about where the
patient is, how he or she is doing, and the care
that is being given.
 Allowing the family to stay with the patient,
when possible, also helps allay their anxieties.
 MEDICO LEGAL ASPECT

 Written documentation of a patient’s

understanding of their condition and their
expressed wishes about their future care is
important. It is part of a complete assessment
of any palliative care patient, and should be
kept up to date and reviewed as needed.
• Specific documentation of a patient’s
diagnosis, stage of their illness, and wishes for
future care - especially their views about
resuscitation and other active management for
possible end of life conditions - should be
included prominently in the relevant medical
records.
• Patients can keep a copy and carry it with them
THANK YOU

THANK YOU