Emergency Nursing
Interventions to prevent injury to staff in the ER.
What are use Standard Precautions at ALL times; anticipate hostile, violent patients, family, and/or visitor behavior; plan and practice options if violence occurs, including assistance from the security department?
Best Practice Box pg 120 9th ed
10th ed pg 192
Action Alert 121 9th
10th pg 193
These are considered emergent (life-threatening) tier level.
What are respiratory distress, chest pain with diaphoresis, stroke, active hemorrhage, and unstable vital signs?
Table 8-2 9th pg 124
Table 10-2 20th pg 196
Treatment for altitude sickness includes these things.
What are slow ascent from height, ensure adequate hydration and nutrition, acetazolamide for acute mountain sickness, and provide oxygen?
Best Practice Box
9th pg 146
10th pg 220
What is anthrax?
These are some of the most common patient safety issues in the ER.
What are patient identification, fall risk, skin breakdown in vulnerable populations, and high risk for medical errors and adverse events?
9th pg 121
10th pg 193
This triage tier level can wait several hours if needed without fear of detioration.
What is the nonurgent tier level?
Table 8-2 9th pg 124
Table 10-2 20th pg 196
These are expected findings of hypothermia.
What are shivering, slurred speech (dysarthria), impaired cognition, and diuresis?
Key Features Box
9th pg 143
10th ed pg 216
What is do not open the package, notify a supervisor?
True or false: When an unconscious patient comes in to the ER, medical personnel need permission before starting treatment.
What is false?
Trauma patients may even have to be rushed back to surgery and will not be able to consent.
Black tag for triage under mass casualty.
What is expectant or class IV, those patients that allowed or expected to die?
Table 10-1 9th pg 152
Table 12-1 10th pg 228
These are priority interventions for patients with a heat stroke.
What are ensure a patent airway, remove the patient from the hot environment, remove the patient's clothing, pour or spray cold water on the body and scalp?
Best Practice Box
9th ed pg 135
10th ed pg 208
What are cipro, levofloxacin, and doxycycline?
This is a required training course to work in the ER.
What is Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)?
Sometimes Pediatric Advanced Life Support as well.
9th pg 123
10th pg 196
These patients require a red tag in the mass casualty triage system.
What are airway obstruction, shock, severe burns, major internal hemorrhage, cardiac injuries?
9th pg 152
10th pg 228
True or false: A patient with frost bite should receive dry heat or massage to the area as part of the warming process.
What is false?
Critical Rescue Box
pg 144 9th ed
pg 218 10th ed
The plague is spread this way.
What is by infected fleas, probably on rats?
9th ed pg 429
These things should be considered when providing discharge instructions in any setting, but particularly in the ER.
What are reading level, primary language, and visual acuity?
To prevent return to the ER, education for the discharged patient is essential.
Box 9th pg 126
10th pg 198
This tag is considered the "walking wounded".
What is the green tag under mass casualty?
Table 10-1 9th pg 152
Table 12-1 10th pg 228
Heat related prevention for the elderly focuses on these things.
What are hydration, prevent overexposure to the sun, rest frequently, stay indoors if possible?
Chart 9-1 9th pg 134
10th ed pg 207
Botulism is spread this way.
What is infected food?
9th pg 429