ABSTRACT
. Process nurse: the experience of the Emergency Department of Fano. INTRODUCTION: Overcrowding in Emergency Departments (ED) is a common worldwide phenomenon. Strategies are needed to manage the excessive influx and length of stay in the Accidents and Emergency (A&E) ward, which may adversely affect the organization of care. The process nurse (PN) has been proposed, but the literature lacks rigorous studies on its effectiveness. PURPOSE: The pilot study was conducted to evaluate how the PN affects thre length of stay and drop-out rate after triage of selected users accessing the A&E. METHODS: The PN was introduced in the A&E of the Santa Croce Hospital in Fano-AST Pesaro Urbino. Users with codes 3, 4, 5 and the most frequent causes for A&E visits were included. The length of stay and drop-out rate after triage were compared between users assigned to the PN and those who, at the same time and with the same problem and access codes, followed the standard process. RESULTS: In November 2022, 943 users were enrolled, 214 cared by the PN and 729 with standard care. The mean time spent in the A&E was significantly lower in the PN group (206.7 ± SD 144.2 minutes vs 282.4 ± SD 208.9 minutes, p <0.0001). The discharge rate was higher in the PN group (89.7% vs 75.3% p <0.0001), while the drop-out rate was lower (9.8% vs 24.1% p <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the potentialities of PN in the A&E and at triage, emphasizing its ability to speed up, facilitate, and optimize care pathways.
Subject(s)
Emergency Service, Hospital , Length of Stay , Triage , Humans , Pilot Projects , Male , Female , Italy , Middle Aged , Adult , Crowding , Emergency Nursing , Patient Dropouts/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Nomophobia, a form of behavioral addiction, is uncontrolled, obsessive fear of being disconnected from the mobile phone network. Excessive use of smartphone during care, a source of errors and distractions, is among the top ten risks related to the use of technologies in healthcare. The study aims to investigate the presence of nomophobia among nurses and students of the Degree in Nursing and any differences based on gender, age group and seniority. METHODS: A cross-sectional quantitative descriptive study conducted at Università Politecnica delle Marche and Azienda Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord departments; the NMP-Q questionnaire (Nomophobia Questionnaire) was administered to a non-probabilistic sample of nurses and nursing students. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential non-parametric statistical measurements. RESULTS: A total of 280 questionnaires were returned, 141 for students and 139 for nurses. The mean total score for students and nurses was moderate and overlapping (M=79.9 vs. 79.3, p>0.05), with no difference by gender and course year (p>0.05); in the sample of nurses score is higher in men (M=89.8 vs. 76.0, p=0.037), under 30 (M=72.0) and over 50 years (M=83.1, p=0.021). The comparison between the two groups shows higher percentages of moderate nomophobic grade among students (+17pp), mild (+8.2 pp) and severe (+7.4 pp) among nurses, without significant gender differences. CONCLUSIONS: In the perspective of proper risk management, the level of nomophobia found in both groups should not be underestimated. This study highlights the importance of monitoring the phenomenon, adopting information and awareness-raising policies aimed at healthcare personnel as early as university training: distracting factors associated with the over-use of smartphones in the workplace make nurses, particularly newly graduates and with less expertise, more vulnerable and more exposed to the risk of error.
