Desert View Hospital has recently made another move to increase the level of detailed care pediatric patients receive in its emergency room with the further certification of several full-time nurses through the Emergency Nurses Association.
Six emergency room nurses recently completed the qualification requirements for the Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course offered through the ENA. The course, which is reportedly 16 hours long, better prepares emergency room nurses to recognize and assess illnesses in pediatric patients who visit the ER.
According to the ENA, infants, children and adolescents account for more than 31 million emergency room visits across the nation each year.
“In the United States, it is estimated that one pediatric patient per second seeks emergency care, and the majority of these pediatric patients are seen in general emergency departments. In many instances, preventable pediatric deaths are the result of delayed recognition and treatment by emergency department personnel where proper intervention may have prevented these outcomes,” the organization’s website states.
The Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course reportedly teaches nurses about systematic assessment and integrates anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology in order to be able to identify appropriate nursing interventions, according to the Emergency Nurses Association. Participants had to complete both a practical and written exam in order to earn the certification.
Emergency Department Manager Sherry Cipollini noted in a statement from the hospital health-related changes are often more subtle in pediatric patients, and early recognition and treatment are key to improving patient outcomes.
Though Desert View staff has always been trained in pediatric advanced life support and neonatal resuscitation, the specialized course helps to increase nurses’ knowledge, skills and confidence in the practice of treating pediatric patients.
“This certification means that pediatric patients will receive a higher quality of care by having specialty trained nursing staff – nurses who have received training similar to that seen in pediatric facilities,” Cipollini said. “It’s a very difficult course. I’m very proud of my staff for making this commitment to attend the course, learn the material and implement it into their practice.”