ABSTRACT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between nurse demographics and correct identification of clinical situations warranting specific nursing actions, including activation of the medical emergency team. BACKGROUND: If abnormal physiology is left untreated, the patient may develop cardiac arrest. Nurses in general wards are those who perceive any clinical deterioration in patients. DESIGN: A descriptive, quantitative design was selected. METHODS: An anonymous survey with 13 multiple choice questions was distributed to 150 randomly selected nurses working in general medical and surgical wards of a large tertiary hospital in Athens, Greece. After explanation of the purposes of the study, 94 nurses (response ratio: 62%) agreed to respond to the questionnaire. RESULTS: Categories with the greatest nursing concern were patients with heart rate<40/minute, an atypical thoracic pain, foreign body airway obstruction and bronchial secretions, respiratory rate<5/minute and heart rate=100/minute. However, almost 50% of nurses were able to accurately identify the critical nursing action for patients with respiratory rate<4/minute, 72% for patients with airway obstruction and 73% for patients with chest pain. Nurses who had graduated from a four-year educational programme identified clinical situations that necessitated medical emergency team activation in a significantly higher rate and also scored significantly higher in questions concerning clinical evaluation than nurses who had graduated from a two-year educational programme. CONCLUSION: Activation of the medical emergency team is influenced by factors such as level of education and cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses attendance. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Graduating from a four-year educational programme helps nurses identify emergencies. However, irrespective of the educational programme they have followed, undertaking a basic life support or advanced life support provider course is critical as it helps them identify cardiac or respiratory emergencies.
