Journal List > Korean J Adult Nurs > v.31(5) > 1135924

Baik, Cho, Kim, and Choi: Emergency Department Nursing Activities: Retrospective Study on Data from Electronic Nursing Records

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to identify the type and frequency of nursing activities targeting emergency department patients by analyzing electronic nursing records.

Methods

This retrospective study identified the characteristics of and nursing activities for adult patients who visited a university hospital emergency department for 6 months from January to June 2018 by analyzing the hospital's electronic nursing records. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the characteristics of patients and the nursing records.

Results

A total of 36,435 patients, with an average age of 52.82±19.91 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.16, participated in the study. The number of patients with Korean Triage and Acuity Scale levels 4 (less urgent) and 5 (non-urgent) were 24,403 (67% of the total number). Referrals were requested 1.21±0.54 times per patient. The most frequent NANDA diagnosis and Nursing Intervention Classification intervention were “ Risk for unstable blood glucose level” (858, 28.4%), and “ Surveillance” (83,131, 23.9%). The most frequent Clinical Care Classification action type was “ Assess or Monitor” (313,729, 38.5%). The higher the severity level and the number of referrals, the more the recorded numbers of nursing diagnoses, interventions, and care activities.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated the possibility of nursing task analysis by identifying the type and frequency of nursing activities based on the data from electronic nursing records. Further research on electronic nursing records would contribute to the usefulness of these records for nursing workload analysis and effective workforce management.

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Table 1.
General and Clinical Characteristics of Patients whose Nursing Records were Analyzed (N=36,435)
Characteristics Categories n (%) or M± SD
Age (year) 19~39 11,489 (31.5)
40~59 9,802 (26.9)
60~79 11,672 (32.1)
≥80 3,472 (9.5)
52.82±19.91
Gender Men 16,837 (46.2)
Women 19,598 (53.8)
Chief complaint Abdominal pain 3,656 (8.2)
Fever 2,281 (5.1)
Dyspnea 2,224 (5.0)
Headache 2,207 (4.9)
Dizziness 1,958 (4.4)
Chest pain 1,029 (2.3)
Vomiting 1,013 (2.3)
Fever and chilling 890 (2.0)
General weakness 832 (1.9)
Diarrhea 806 (1.8)
Severity (KTAS level) 1: Resuscitation 633 (1.7)
2: Emergent 2,952 (8.1)
3: Urgent 8,447 (23.2)
4: Less urgent 19,628 (53.9)
5: Non-urgent 4,775 (13.1)
Admission routes Direct visit 31,006 (85.1)
Outpatient departments 939 (2.6)
Transfer from other 4,490 (12.3)
institutions
Disposition Discharged 26,454 (72.6)
Admitted 8,780 (24.1)
Transferred 684 (1.9)
Dead 254 (0.7)
Others 263 (0.7)
Number of referral None 15,037 (41.3)
1 17,749 (48.7)
2 2,962 (8.1)
≥3 687 (1.9)
1.21±0.54
Referred department§(n=21,398) Medical department 10,417 (40.1)
Surgical department 6,433 (24.7)
Neurological department 3,481 (13.4)
Other departments 5,659 (21.8)
Length of ED stay (hour) 6 24,629 (67.6)
6~<24 10,185 (28.0)
≥24 1,621 (4.5)
6.57±8.97
ED=emergency department; KTAS=Korean triage and acuity scale;

Top 10 most frequent chief complaints;

The mean was calculated only based on patients who were referred (n=21,398);

§ Multiple referrals were counted;

Discharges which are difficult to classify as discharge, admission, transfer, or death based on the medical records, including discharges after outpatient care.

Table 2.
Nursing Diagnosis of Patients whose Nursing Records were Analyzed (N=3,019)
NANDA domain Nursing diagnoses n (%)
Nutrition Risk for unstable blood glucose level 858 (28.4)
Comfort Acute pain 810 (26.8)
Nausea 1 (0.0)
Safety/ protection Hyperthermia 529 (17.5)
Risk for injury 452 (15.0)
Ineffective airway clearance 138 (4.6)
Impaired skin integrity 113 (3.8)
Risk for impaired skin integrity 37 (1.2)
Risk for falls 12 (0.4)
Impaired oral mucous membrane 3 (0.1)
Hypothermia 2 (0.1)
Activity/rest Ineffective breathing pattern 39 (1.3)
Decreased cardiac output 17 (0.6)
Bathing/Hygiene self-care deficit 3 (0.1)
Health promotion Noncompliance 3 (0.1)
Elimination/ exchange Constipation Impaired gas exchange 1 (0.0) 1 (0.0)
Table 3.
Top 30 Nursing Interventions of Patients whose Nursing Records were Analyzed (N=347,303
Domain NIC domain and class Nursing interventions n (%) Rank
Physiological: basic B. Elimination management Tube care: urinary 10,574 (2.7) 8
Urinary catheterization 4,589 (1.2) 14
Enema administration 1,668 (0.4) 21
C. Immobility management Transfer 8,889 (2.2) 10
Physical restraint 1,210 (0.3) 24
D. Nutrition support Tube care: gastrointestinal 5,638 (1.4) 13
E. Physical comfort promotion Pain management: acute 1,250 (0.3) 23
F. Self-care facilitation Tube care 1,651 (0.4) 22
Physiological: complex G. Electrolyte and acid-base Hyperglycemia management 2,048 (0.5) 17
management Hypoglycemia management 848 (0.2) 27
H. Drug management Medication administration 16,480 (4.1) 7
Central venous access device management 8,829 (2.2) 11
J. Perioperative care Surgical preparation 669 (0.2) 29
K. Respiratory management Oxygen therapy 10,053 (2.5) 9
Artificial airway management 2,027 (0.5) 18
K. Respiratory management Mechanical ventilation: invasive/noninvasive 1,137 (0.3) 25
Airway insertion and stabilization 860 (0.2) 26
Tube care: chest 533 (0.1) 30
L. Skin/wound management Wound care 2,254 (0.6) 16
Wound irrigation 1,859 (0.5) 19
Suturing 1,673 (0.4) 20
M. Thermoregulation Fever treatment 709 (0.2) 28
N. Tissue perfusion management Intravenous insertion 41,456 (10.4) 2
Intravenous therapy 33,423 (8.4) 4
Blood products administration 5,874 (1.5) 12
Safety U. Crisis management Code management 3,060 (0.8) 15
V. Risk management Surveillance 83,131 (20.9) 1
Vital signs monitoring 22,645 (5.7) 6
Health system Y. Health system mediation Discharge planning 29,192 (7.3) 5
a. Health system management Examination assistance 40,424 (10.2) 3

NIC=nursing intervention classification;

It is also included V(risk management) class;

It is also included N(tissue perfusion management) class.

Table 4.
Top 30 Nursing Care Activities Provided to Patients whose Nursing Records were Analyzed (N=815,090)
CCC action type Nursing care activities n (%) Rank
Assess or monitor Assess neurological status 70,080 (8.6) 1
Check the patient's condition 53,608 (6.6) 2
Assess pain 46,193 (5.7) 3
Monitor vital signs 40,750 (5.0) 6
Monitor the oxygen saturation 25,979 (3.2) 13
Check the patency of the intravenous line 25,117 (3.1) 14
Check vital signs 24,409 (3.0) 15
Monitor the effect of the oxygen therapy 13,318 (1.6) 22
Perform or provide direct care Check patient's food intake 40,899 (5.0) 5
Start an intravenous line 29,980 (3.7) 9
Administer a medication 28,587 (3.5) 10
Check the intravenous site 27,147 (3.3) 12
Check the intravenous drips 24,305 (3.0) 16
Apply the heparin lock 18,845 (2.3) 18
Remove the intravenous catheter 13,566 (1.7) 21
Assist a diagnostic procedure or a medical treatment 16,026 (2.0) 20
Maintain the patency of the indwelling catheter 7,914 (1.0) 24
Adjust the medication drip rate 6,975 (0.9) 25
Check the flow of oxygen delivery 6,764 (0.8) 26
Check the dressing of the catheter insertion site 5,364 (0.7) 27
Monitor vital signs during transfusion 4,996 (0.6) 28
Perform a wound care/dressing 4,172 (0.5) 29
Start monitoring clinical parameters 4,160 (0.5) 30
Manage or refer Admit the patient to the ward 41,675 (5.1) 4
Receive a patient in emergency department 36,437 (4.5) 7
Discharge the patient 27,835 (3.4) 11
Transfer the patient 16,488 (2.0) 19
Receive permission 11,724 (1.4) 23
Teach or educate Provide the unit information 36,196 (4.4) 8
Explain about the discharge process 23,347 (2.9) 17

CCC=clinical care classification.

Table 5.
Nursing Records by KTAS Levels and Number of Referrals
Variables Categories NANDA NIC Nursing care activity
M± SD F (p) Scheffé M± SD F (p) Scheffé M± SD F (p) Scheffé
KTAS level 1: Resuscitation a 1.58±0.97(n=190) 44.74 (<.001) a> b> c> d, a> b> e 37.21±41.15(n=633) 1,435.97 (<.001) a> b> c> d> e 67.78±70.69(n=633) 1,363.00 (<.001) a> b> c> d> e
2: Emergent b 1.28±0.62(n=583) 18.70±26.91(n=2,952) 39.97±48.03(n=2,952)
3: Urgent c 1.16±0.48(n=867) 13.40±17.34(n=8,447) 30.63±33.60(n=8,447)
4: Less urgent d 1.08±0.28(n=810) 6.78±7.77(n=19,629) 17.05±16.14(n=19,629)
5: Non-urgent e 1.05±0.23(n=91) 4.66±6.05(n=4,775) 12.74±12.41(n=4,775)
Number of referrals ≥3 a 1.37±0.71(n=169) 15.65 (<.001) a> c> d, b> c> d 28.04±34.25(n=687) 1,343.06 (<.001) a> b> c> d 55.46±58.58(n=687) 1,351.47 (<.001) a> b> c> d
2 b 1.26±0.59(n=504) 18.00±21.93(n=2,962) 38.08±39.69(n=2,962)
1 c 1.17±0.52(n=1,535) 11.29±15.84(n=17,749) 26.04±30.35(n=17,749)
None d 1.07±0.28(n=333) 4.94±6.95(n=15,037) 13.44±13.80(n=15,037)

KTAS=Korean triage and acuity scale; NIC=nursing intervention classification;

The number of NANDA diagnoses reflected only 1.9% of nursing diagnosis/protocol of the study institution;

n=Number of patients.

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