Assessing emergency nursing competence

Jean A Proehl1

  • 1Emergency Department, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756-0001, USA. jean.proehl@hitchcock.org.

Related Concept Videos

The Professional Nurse01:22

The Professional Nurse

Professional nurses are not limited to bedside care and are taking roles of greater responsibility. A nurse should have a knowledge-based practice, including personal, theoretical, procedural, cultural, and reflexive knowledge. Additionally, nurses must be competent in cognitive, technical, interpersonal, and ethical/legal skills. Some of the best attributes of successful nurses include the following:
Communication skills: These are critical characteristics, especially speaking and listening.
Nursing Assessment01:29

Nursing Assessment

The two sources for collecting information are primary and secondary. After gathering information, interpretation and validation help to complete the data. The purpose of assessment is to establish data with the initial information, to interpret data about the patient's perceived needs and health problems, and to respond to these problems identified.
The nurse collects all aspects of the patient's health in the initial assessment, establishing priorities for ongoing focused assessments and...
Nursing Evaluation01:15

Nursing Evaluation

The evaluation stage signals the end of the nursing process. The nurse gathers evaluative data to assess whether or not the patient has attained the expected results. Whereas the nurse collects data in the nursing assessment to identify the patient's health concerns, the evaluation stage data determines if the indicated health issues are resolved. Evaluative data collection includes two sections: the data acquired to evaluate patient outcomes and the time criteria for data collection.
Section...
Ethical Issues01:27

Ethical Issues

Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Accountability and Responsibility of a Nurse II01:09

Accountability and Responsibility of a Nurse II

Professional accountability in nursing is a multifaceted concept that encompasses professional ethics, legal standards, and employment expectations. This framework ensures that nurses maintain and elevate the quality of care while upholding the values of their profession. It compels them to treat patients, families, and colleagues with respect, compassion, and integrity.
For example, a nurse demonstrating respect and compassion might listen attentively to a patient's concerns, provide comfort...
Acute Coronary Syndrome V: Nursing Management01:26

Acute Coronary Syndrome V: Nursing Management

Nursing Assessment:Nursing management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) involves taking the patient's history, focusing on primary complaints such as chest pain, dyspnea, and excessive sweating (diaphoresis), as well as other symptoms like back or jaw pain, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, dizziness, and fatigue. The nurse also reviews the patient's history of cardiac events, risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, family history, and current medications.In the objective assessment,...