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24

aediatric emergency care: The assessment of an educa-ion program on the level of knowledge and confidence ofurses within a mixed emergency department

ourtney Aitken

Emergency Department, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra,CT, Australia

In Australia, the majority of paediatric emergency cares provided in both mixed and paediatric specific emergencyepartments. It is clearly demonstrated in the literaturehat education and experience are paramount in providingptimum care to children and their families. For this reasonany institutions have developed and adopted evidence-ased guidelines and educational programs to improveursing knowledge and confidence in paediatric care. Thisresentation will present the progress of a study examininghe effectiveness of a ‘Paediatric Emergency Care’ educa-ion program on the level of knowledge and confidence ofurses working in a mixed emergency department environ-ent.The descriptive study invited all Registered and Enrolled

urses rostered from The Canberra Hospital Emergencyepartment to participate. All participants were given are-test in the form of a 30-item questionnaire and givenhe opportunity to enrol in the education program. Thosehat successfully enrolled were considered the interventionroup and those who chose not to enrol or were unableo, considered the comparison group. The intervention forhis study was an educational program that incorporated aull-day Paediatric Emergency Care Course and Self-Directedearning Package. A post-test was distributed four weeksfter the program was conducted.

It is anticipated that the level of knowledge and con-dence of emergency department nurses will improveollowing participation in the program pending final datanalysis. It is hoped that the findings of this study will fos-er professional development, increase the confidence ofmergency department nurses, optimise patient outcomesnd encourage further research and educational develop-ent in this area of interest.

eywords: Paediatric; Emergency department; Emergencyare; Education program

oi:10.1016/j.aenj.2007.09.101

mproving emergency care for children

haron Payne

Hawkes Bay District Health Board, Hastings, New Zealand

Children presenting to general emergency departmentsn many areas are triaged, assessed and treated in emer-ency departments that provide care to both adults andhildren in a single facility. Paediatric emergencies are influ-

nced by the child’s unique anatomical features, immaturehysiology and changing developmental stages.

How can we best provide child orientated, family cen-red, and expert emergency care to this significant andulnerable population group? This research project exam-

KN

Abstracts

ned the literature relating to paediatric care, reviewedhe care in a regional general emergency care facility andbserved the provision of care in international facilities.he findings will begin a quality improvement initiative toevelop paediatric emergency care in a regional hospital.

eywords: Paediatric emergency care

oi:10.1016/j.aenj.2007.09.102

edical emergency teams: Graduate nurses’ lived expe-ience of in-hospital resuscitation—–A hermeneutic phe-omenological approach

amie Ranse

The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia

When a patient has a sudden cardiac arrest within theon-critical care hospital environment, nurses are predom-nately the first health care professionals to provide anyntervention. It is not unrealistic to expect that a graduatejunior) nurse may be an active participant of such an event.he purpose of this research was to explore, describe and

nterpret the lived experience of graduate nurses who havearticipated in an in-hospital resuscitation event within theon-critical care environment.

Using a hermeneutic phenomenological design, a conve-ience sample was recruited from a population of graduateegistered Nurses with less than 12 months experience.ocus groups were employed as a means of data collection.hematic analysis of the focus group narrative was under-aken using a well-established human science approach.

Responses from participants were analysed and groupednto four main themes: needing to decide, having to act,eeling connected and being supported. Participants seekssistance from the medical emergency team based on expe-ience, education and the perceived needs of the patient.articipants view themselves as learners of the resuscitationrocess being educationally prepared to undertake basic lifeupport, but not prepared for roles in a resuscitation eventxpected of the Registered Nurse.

Similarities are identifiable between the graduate nurses’xperience and the experience of bystanders and otherealth care professional cohorts, such as the chaotic resus-itation environment, having too many or not enougharticipants involved in a resuscitation event, being publiclyested, having a decreased physical and emotional reactionith increased resuscitation exposure and having a lack of anpportunity to participate in debriefing sessions. Strategieshould be implemented to provide non-critical care nursesith the confidence and competence to remain involved in

he resuscitation process, firstly to provide support for lessxperienced staff and secondly to participate in the ongo-ng management of the patient. Additionally, the need for

eywords: Resuscitation; Experience; Graduate; Junior;urse; Phenomenology