Procedural sedation of adult patients in the emergency department: a best practice implementation project

The emergency department is a fast-paced and complex health care setting, where critical care is provided to patients of all ages. However, various environmental factors, such as high patient volumes, overburdened staff, and frequent nurse turnover, can hinder the use of evidence-based practices during procedural sedation. Proper patient monitoring is essential to prevent adverse events during procedural sedation.

The goal of this implementation project was to enhance compliance with best practices for patient monitoring during procedural sedation in the emergency department.

The project used the JBI Model of Evidence-Based Healthcare and JBI's Getting Research into Practice (GRiP) tool for implementing evidence-based monitoring practices for adult patients during procedural sedation in the emergency department. A baseline audit was conducted to assess current practice against evidence-based recommendations, followed by the implementation of strategies to improve compliance with best practices. The project concluded with a follow-up audit to determine any improvement in practice.

The baseline audit revealed 81% overall compliance with evidence-based practice. Three barriers were identified, namely, lack of staff education, increased turnover rate of nurses, and the need for nurses to be mobile during procedural sedation. Strategies were implemented to improve compliance with evidence-based practice. The follow-up audit showed an overall improvement of 95% after project implementation.

The project improved best practices for patient monitoring during procedural sedation in the emergency department. However, more work remains to be done to ensure the sustainability of the best practices, including monitoring of end-tidal capnography and vital sign assessment.