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Specialized emergency nurses treating ankle and foot injuries: a randomized controlled trial
Robert Jan Derksen1, Fred C Bakker, Elly S M de Lange-de Klerk
1Department of Surgery/Traumatology, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands. rj.derksen@vumc.nl
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine
|February 6, 2007
Summary
Specialized emergency nurses (SENs) accurately assess and treat ankle/foot injuries, improving patient care and reducing wait times in overcrowded emergency departments (EDs). This study demonstrates SENs
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Nursing Practice
- Trauma Care
Background:
- Emergency departments (EDs) face overcrowding challenges.
- Specialized Emergency Nurses (SENs) offer a potential solution.
- Assessing the efficacy of SENs in managing specific injuries is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of SENs in treating ankle/foot injuries.
- To compare SEN performance against traditional house officers (HOs).
- To assess patient satisfaction with care provided by SENs.
Main Methods:
- A 2-day training program was developed for regular nurses to become SENs.
- A randomized controlled trial compared diagnostic accuracy and patient satisfaction between SENs and HOs.
- 512 patients with ankle/foot injuries were included in the study.
Main Results:
- SENs demonstrated high sensitivity (0.94) and specificity (0.94) in diagnosing ankle/foot injuries.
- SENs' diagnostic accuracy was comparable to HOs (sensitivity 0.78, specificity 0.95).
- Care delivered by SENs was rated significantly better, with a reduction in median waiting time from 32 to 21 minutes.
Conclusions:
- SENs are proficient in accurately assessing and treating ankle/foot injuries.
- The implementation of SENs leads to improved patient satisfaction and reduced ED waiting times.
- Further development of injury-specific training courses for nurses is recommended.