What is an Emergency Nurse?

- Working in the fast-moving environment of a hospital's emergency department, the Emergency Nurse is considered to be at "the front line" of patient care. Emergency Nurses face many challenges on a day to day basis; working as part of a team evaluating and treating patients who have suffered a minor or major trauma, prioritising the urgency of their care and providing emotional support to the patient and their family.

What is an Emergency Room?

- An emergency department (ED), also known as accident & emergency (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW), or casualty department is a medical treatment facility, specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance. The emergency department is usually found in a hospital or other primary care center. Due to the unplanned nature of patient attendance, the department must provide initial treatment for a broad spectrum of illnesses and injuries, some of which may be life-threatening and require immediate attention. In some countries, emergency departments have become important entry points for those without other means of access to medical care. The emergency departments of most hospitals operate 24 hours a day, although staffing levels may be varied in an attempt to mirror patient volume.

What is Emergency? - An emergency is a sudden illness or accident. It is any unforeseen medical problem (chest pain, shortness of breath, bleeding, accidental injury, life threatening allergic reaction, poisoning, burns or other acute problems). This means that the more critical and unstable patients are examined and treated before the more stable or non-critical patients.

Examples of Emergencies : A.) Poisoning: Seek immediate medical help Try and identify the poison if possible Check for signs like burns around mouth, breathing difficulty or vomiting Induce vomiting if poison swallowed In case of convulsions, protect the person from self injury If the vomit falls on the skin, wash it thoroughly Position the victim on the left till medical help arrives

Uncontrollable Bleeding: Wash hands well before administering to patient Wear synthetic gloves make the victim lie down Slightly elevate the legs If possible keep the affected area elevated Remove any obvious debris/particle Apply direct pressure using clean cloth/bandage Use hand if cloth is not available Apply pressure continuously for at least 20 minutes Do not remove the cloth to check the bleeding Hold the bandage in place using an adhesive tape If bleeding seeps through bandage, do not remove it
B.)

C.) Fainting: Fainting is a medical emergency, till proven otherwise When a person feels faintMake them sit down or lie down If sitting, position head between knees When a person faints, position him on his back Check to see if airways are clear Restore blood flow by Loosening clothing/belts/collars Elevate feet above head level Patient should become normal within a minute If not, seek medical help Check if breathing/pulse is normal

D.) Fracture:

For open fractures

Control bleeding before treatment Rinse and dress the wound

For open / closed fractures

Check the breathing Calm the person Examine for other injuries Immobilize the broken wound Apply ice to reduce pain / swelling Consult a doctor E.) Chest Pain:

If feeling faint, lie down, legs raised In case of breathing difficulty, sit up Epinephrine injections effective treatment Continuous monitoring mandatory Severity/ response / prior episodes determine treatment Equipments found in ER Stethoscope - A stethoscope lets a nurse or physician listen to heart and respiratory sounds. Cardiac Monitor - gives a visual display of the rhythm of your heart. Suture Tray - This tray contains the sterile equipment needed to place sutures (stitches) in a patient with a laceration. These include: needle holder (the instrument that holds the needle containing the suture material), forceps (used to hold the lacerated tissue), sterile towels (used to drape off the non sterile areas which are not being repaired), scissors, and small bowls (to hold antiseptic solutions). Orthopedic Equipment - Most emergency departments have a generous number of orthopedic devices for many purposes. These include plaster and/or fiberglass materials to splint extremities that are fractured or severely injured. You'll also find pre-made splints for specific joints, such as knee immobilizers, aluminum finger splints, Velcro wrist splints, shoulder slings, air splints (for ankles), and cervical collars, as well as cast cutters to use when a cast has become too tight. Defibrillator - This is an electrical device with two paddles that are placed on your chest. It discharges electricity through your heart when a lethal rhythm is present.

Endotracheal intubation equipment - endotracheal intubation is the procedure of placing a tube into someone's trachea (windpipe) when that person stops breathing or is not breathing adequately. Central vein catheters - These are catheters (small tubes) placed in the large central veins (near the heart) so that medications and fluids can reach the heart and important organs quickly.