Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
11:19
Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation
Published on: January 17, 2011
Interruptions and pediatric patient safety
Linda McGillis Hall1, Cheryl Pedersen, Pam Hubley
1Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. l.mcgillishall@utoronto.ca <l.mcgillishall@utoronto.ca>
Journal of Pediatric Nursing
|May 1, 2010
Summary
Pediatric nurses face frequent work interruptions, totaling 5,325 observed instances. Understanding interruption sources, types, and causes is crucial for improving nursing work environments and patient care outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Science
- Healthcare Systems Engineering
- Patient Safety Research
Background:
- Workplace interruptions significantly impact healthcare professionals.
- Understanding the dynamics of interruptions is vital for optimizing nursing workflows and patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the nature and frequency of interruptions experienced by pediatric nurses.
- To identify the sources, types, and causes of these interruptions.
- To describe the nursing tasks interrupted and the subsequent outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Observational study design.
- Systematic recording of 5,325 interruptions in pediatric nursing work environments.
- Categorization of interruptions by source, type, cause, and impact on nursing tasks.
Main Results:
- A high volume of 5,325 interruptions was documented.
- Detailed data on the origins and nature of interruptions were collected.
- The study outlines the specific nursing activities interrupted and their consequences.
Conclusions:
- Interruptions are a significant factor in pediatric nurses' work environments.
- Identifying interruption patterns can inform strategies to mitigate disruptions.
- Further research can leverage these findings to enhance nursing efficiency and patient safety.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
01:17Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight, compared...
01:29Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses a challenge in...
01:26Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios
Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...