Managing Patient Emergencies: Critical Care Skills Every Nurse Must Know

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Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

Handouts/Brochure

Speaker

Robin Gilbert, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN Related seminars and products

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Robin Gilbert, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, has over 25 years’ experience in emergency nursing. She is both a certified emergency nurse and certified pediatric emergency nurse. Robin has experience as an emergency department manager, manager of cardiac & pulmonary rehabilitation and currently as the regional manager for staff development at Central Main Medical Center. She instructs the NCLEX review class for Kaplan and tutors nursing students online for a local college of nursing. Her experience also includes having been an item writer for the Board Certification of Emergency Nursing and a former chairperson. In her current role, Robin is able to remain up to date in the trends and best practice standards for care in emergency nursing. Robin received her BSN from Curry College, Massachusetts and her MSN from Saint Joseph’s College, Maine. Robin is an active member of the Emergency Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and is a reviewer for the ANCC’s Pathway to Excellence.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Robin Gilbert has employment relationships with EBSCO, Central Maine Medical Center, Rumford Hospital, Pathway to Excellence, and Kaplan University. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Robin Gilbert is a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and the Emergency Nurses Association.

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Objectives

1. Distinguish two types of rapid assessment techniques and how to employ them for the best results during a patient emergency.
2. Evaluate techniques for getting critical information during a rapid patient assessment.
3. Investigate EARLY assessment findings in clinical syndromes that may progress rapidly and cause life-threatening conditions.
4. Prioritize nursing actions for specific neurological, cardiac, respiratory and endocrine emergencies.
5. Assess care of the diabetic patient in diabetic ketoacidosis.
6. Determine patient populations who are at high-risk for bedside emergencies.
7. Propose how to integrate assessment data and critical lab findings into the plan of care for a patient experiencing a life-threatening emergency.

Outline

Identifying the RED Flags

• Critical Thinking During a Crisis
• Vital Signs & ABCDs
• Methods for Establishing and Maintaining Airway
• Breathing: More Than a Rate Issue Circulation & Perfusion
• Rapid Assessment Techniques
• Critical Questions to Ask Your Patient
• Identifying High-Risk Populations
• Sick or Not Sick…Who would you see first?

Cardiovascular Prevention, Presentation, Action for: “I’m having chest pain”

• Recognizing Arrhythmias - Stable, Unstable and Lethal
• Rhythm Recognition & Treatment for: VT, VF, SVT, and Heart Blocks
• Acute Myocardial Infarction: STEMI/ NSTEMI
• Key Assessments & Interventions​ tPA Guidelines
• Laboratory Parameters
• Recognizing Subtle Changes
• Hemodynamic Monitoring:
  • MAP, CO, SV, CI
  • Preload, Afterload, Contractility
• Skills Practice: EKG Interpretation

Respiratory Prevention, Presentation, Action for: “I can’t breathe”

• Capnography Basics
• Assessment & Critical Interventions for:
  • Pulmonary Embolism
  • Respiratory Failure
  • COPD
  • ARDS
  • The Patient Who Needs Assistance
  • O2, CPAP, BiPAP
  • Indications for Intubation
  • Positive Pressure Ventilation
  • Chest Tube Management
  • Easy ABG Analysis…Really!

Endocrine Prevention, Presentation, Action for: “I don’t feel right”

• The Differences of DKA and HHNK
• Early Recognition of Hypoglycemia
• Critical Lab Findings
• Differentiating the Diagnosis – Case Studies
• Which Intervention Should you do FIRST
• What is the Likely Problem
• Anticipating the Solutions

Neurological Prevention, Presentation and Action for: “My head hurts!”

• Elevated Intracranial Pressure
• Clues When you Don’t have a Monitor
• Ischemic vs. Hemorrhagic Stroke
• Inclusion/Exclusion for tPA
• Critical Labs
• Malignant Headache
• Delirium
• Autonomic Dysreflexia
• Simulation Lab Review
  • Interpreting the Patient’s Presentation

Fluid Imbalance/Circulatory Emergencies

• Sepsis
• Shock
• GI Bleed
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
• Compartment Syndrome

Managing the Decompensating Patient

• No Pulse, No Blood Pressure, No Respirations...Now What?
  • Common Medications
  • Monitor/Defibrillator Review
  • Roles & Responsibilities During a Code

What’s New & Trending

• Ethical Considerations
• Documentation Pitfalls
• Staffing Considerations & High Acuity Patients

Target Audience

• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Clinical Nurse Specialists

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