Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2025
Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
Guidelines for patient care used by registered nurses in the emergency room: Mapping of Swedish governing documents
Veronica Pavedahl1, Inger K Holmström2, Martina Summer Meranius1
1School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna Västerås, Sweden.
Introduction:
Guidelines are important for guiding clinical practice and governing registered nurses' work in an emergency room to enable them to secure quality of care and patient safety in a life-saving situation. However, guidelines are not always systematically prepared, or evidence based. This study aimed to map and describe the content of Swedish guidelines governing the registered nurses' work in emergency rooms.
Methods:
A descriptive cross-sectional design, together with a thematic synthesis of content of the submitted guidelines. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and a thematic synthesis. Quality of the guidelines was measured using a modified version of the AGREE II instrument.
Results:
The result is based on 190 included guidelines, collected from 37 participating emergency departments. The registered nurses' work in emergency rooms was guided by an instrumental and task-oriented approach to care, with a wide variation in how the registered nurses' work was described in the guidelines. The quality of the guidelines was poor. The registered nurse was reported as target user in 15 % (n = 29) of the guidelines. None of the guidelines described the population to whom they were meant to apply. In 17 % (n = 32) there was an explicit link between recommendations and supporting evidence.
Conclusions:
There is a need to improve guidelines to support registered nurses in assessing, treating, and providing fundamental care for patients with life-threatening illnesses in an equal, evidence-based, and person-centered way. Registered nurses should play an active role in the development of the guidelines governing their work.
Related Concept Videos
01:06Legal Guidelines for Documentation
01:26Guidelines for Nursing Documentation II
Timely documentation is crucial to ensure continuity of care for patients. Any delays in recording or reporting medical information can result in medical errors and even adverse patient outcomes. From medication administration to diagnostic test results, every detail must be accurately and promptly documented to provide the best possible care for patients.
01:30Guidelines for Nursing Documentation I
Factual:
The following points emphasize the significance of upholding accurate and unbiased documentation in healthcare.
01:11Guidelines for Writing Outcome
Patient outcomes reflect the patient's response to the goal rather than what the nurse aims to achieve. Terminology should be observable and measurable to avoid the reader's interpretation. The desired outcome should be realistic and achievable in the designated care timeframe. Expected outcomes should align with adjunctive therapies. The outcome should enhance care...
01:22Standards of Care I
01:18Guidelines and Strategies for Safe Computer Charting
Maintain Confidentiality and Security: