A survey of clinical competence of new nurses working in emergency department in Iran: A descriptive, cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Globally, the nursing profession is experiencing a shortage; this is particularly evident in highly specialized hospital units, such as emergency departments (Gorman, 2019; Schriver, Talmadge, Chuong, & Hedges, 2003). Consequently, newly graduated nurses are employed to work in emergency departments (Salonen, Kaunonen, Meretoja, & Tarkka, 2007). In such wards, that dealing with patients facing imminent life-threatening situations is a common feature, the clinical competence of care providers is a concern. The competency of nursing staff in providing emergency care is a critical factor in patient safety. Further, the quality of services provided in the ED is considered a hospital performance indicator (Tourani et al., 2019). Therefore, nurses and other multidisciplinary team members must be competent and work collaboratively to improve patient and healthcare outcomes (Holanda, Marra, & Cunha, 2019). Considering the complexity and dynamic nature of the ED, ensuring the clinical competency of nursing staff, in particular new nurses, is prominent. Nursing competency has been defined by the International Council of Nurses (1997, p. 44) as: "a level of performance demonstrating

Electrocardiogram interpretation competency among emergency nurses and emergency medical service (EMS) personnel: A cross‐sectional and comparative descriptive study

“…According to the guidelines of the American College of Cardiology (ACC/AHA), an ECG should be recorded and interpreted within 10 min of referral in patients presenting with symptoms of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) (Zhang & Hsu, 2013). Moreover, improving the competency of ECG interpretation among healthcare providers who work in emergency settings is a potential patient safety issue and could minimize interpretation errors during emergency situations (Mobrad, 2020; Vand Tamadoni et al., 2020).…”

Patient safety culture and its relationship with job satisfaction and adverse events among nurses working in emergency departments: A correlational descriptive study

“…In Iran health care system, nurses get permission to work at the bedside immediately after completing the 4-year university course and graduation; afterward, they are considered as the general nurse. [8] Similar to many other countries, they might even work in emergency unit of the hospitals due to the lack of enough experienced nurses [9]. This can be affects patient safety culture, adverse events and nurses job satisfaction [10].…”

Electrocardiogram interpretation competency among undergraduate nursing students: A quasi‐experimental study

“…In addition to supporting earlier diagnosis and treatment of many cardiac‐related disorders, maximizing the quality of care and patient outcomes, it also assists in expecting and detecting life‐threatening conditions, preventing cardiac disorders, and reducing the mortality rate 7–9 . Several authors have documented that nurses' competencies in ECG interpretation are a critical element in patient safety and could minimize interpretation errors during emergency situations 3,10 . Meanwhile, incorrect interpretation of an ECG can lead to inappropriate clinical decisions with serious adverse outcomes, especially in arrhythmias and myocardial infarction 11 .…”

“…[7][8][9] Several authors have documented that nurses' competencies in ECG interpretation are a critical element in patient safety and could minimize interpretation errors during emergency situations. 3,10 Meanwhile, incorrect interpretation of an ECG can lead to inappropriate clinical decisions with serious adverse outcomes, especially in arrhythmias and myocardial infarction. 11 Delayed and inaccurate interpretations of dysrhythmias have been shown to compromise patient outcomes.…”