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Development of guidelines for nurse-led discharge of children presenting with toxic ingestion

Lorraine Lawton1

  • 1The Whittington Hospital, London. Lorraine.Lawton@nhs.net

Emergency Nurse : the Journal of the RCN Accident and Emergency Nursing Association
|December 19, 2012
PubMed

Insights

A new nurse-led discharge pathway for children ingesting toxic substances significantly reduced hospital stays and treatment times. This pathway also lowered healthcare costs and improved patient satisfaction in the pediatric emergency department.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Healthcare Management
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Accidental ingestion of potentially toxic substances is a common reason for pediatric emergency department (ED) visits.
  • Current management pathways may lead to prolonged hospital stays and increased healthcare costs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate a nurse-led discharge pathway for children with accidental toxic ingestions.
  • To assess the impact of this pathway on patient flow, treatment efficiency, and resource utilization.

Main Methods:

  • Development of specific guidelines for a nurse-led discharge pathway.
  • Implementation of the pathway in a pediatric emergency department.
  • Retrospective analysis of patient data before and after pathway implementation.

Main Results:

  • Significant reductions in average length of hospital stay.
  • Decreased time to treatment initiation for affected children.
  • Demonstrated cost savings associated with the new pathway.
  • Improved patient and family experience with emergency services.

Conclusions:

  • A nurse-led discharge pathway is effective in managing pediatric accidental toxic ingestions.
  • This approach optimizes resource allocation and enhances patient care efficiency.
  • The pathway improves patient satisfaction and reduces the burden on emergency departments.

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