Infections in pregnant women: the need to assess and possibly treat the fetus and the sexual partner as well.

Assessing and treating pregnant women in the emergency department for complaints unrelated to pregnancy are complex processes at best. Obtaining a consultation from an obstetrician is always prudent, even if it is simply by telephone. Careful attention to laboratory and other diagnostic test results is imperative, and communication with the patient's primary care physician and/or obstetrician is a must. Assessment of fetal well-being should be documented, and implications for the fetus of all treatments and/or omitted treatments should be considered. With infections in pregnant women, remember to think about implications for the baby and the woman's sexual partner; both may need to be assessed and treated.

Nurse educator. A visitor's guide to the streets.

Emergency nurses are encouraged to spend time with field personnel in their environment, observing their roles and responsibilities. Part of the ride-a-long includes sharing in life at the station--enjoying meals, trying to figure out how to get out of doing the dishes--and acquiring an appreciation for having one's meal interrupted multiple times, responding to calls that seem needless on arrival at the scene, getting back to bed at 3 AM, preplanning for fires, testing equipment, and attending continuing education conferences. But most important, it is learning the uniqueness of assessing a patient and delivering care in the field--maybe in the middle of a busy highway or in someone's one-room, 9 x 9 ft apartment, or in a jail cell or alley at all hours of the day and night, without the aid of other staff members emergency nurses usually have access to. And, by appreciating these conditions, a better understanding of the team concept and an improvement in the overall delivery of patient care will result.