Chapter Eighteen. Emergency Care

Nursing in the emergency department can be thought of as nursing in the fast lane. Unlike the routine of unit nursing, emergency nursing requires the nurse to respond to diverse conditions with much versatility. Many emergency situations confront the client and his family with fears of death or disability. Therefore, the ER nurse must assist with stabilizing the client’s physical condition while providing emotional support to both the client and his family during a time of crisis. Faced with life and death on a daily basis, emergency nursing is not for everyone.

A primary principle in providing emergency care is triage, or the sorting of clients into one of three categories:

Emergent

Urgent

Nonurgent

Using ...

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