Callan F. Vaneps
Bemidji State University Interprofessional Journal: Teamwork in an Emergency While interacting with my mentor at a clinical day in the Acute Rehabilitation Unit (ARU), an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse came through the department walking briskly. He exclaimed that there was a patient in ICU experiencing a myocardial infarction at that moment and a student was welcome to come and observe. With permission from my co-worker, I followed the nurse into the ICU to observe the interprofessional teamwork through this emergency.
a) As you observed the professional/registered nurse’s role in this setting, what displayed evidence of a professional level of nursing practice? …show more content…
Upon an insertion of a catheter, sterility is required. In contrast, exposure to microorganisms during and after the insertion of a catheter puts a patient at risk for infection of the urethra, bladder, kidneys, and may result in whole body sepsis. Infection is prevented through use of disposable equipment and iodine for cleaning at the site of insertion (Taylor, Lynn, and Lillis, 2016). Moreover, the nurse used was correct by preserving sterility in the insertion of the catheter which is evidence-based practice. During the patient’s respiratory and cardiac distress a ultrasound technician was using ultrasound for emergency diagnosis. According to Hong-Xia Wang and colleagues (2014), intravascular ultrasound therapy should be used to diagnose myocardial infarctions in an emergency situation. Consequently, the ultrasound technician taking diagnostic pictures however, she was appropriate in that she did not diagnose the patient herself. Upon questioning by the patient about whether or not he was having a heart attack the technician was respectful but did not disclose any …show more content…
However, in this emergency situation, the patient/nurse communication was the most challenging. During this event, the patient was in severe pain (as noted by clenched fists, tachycardia, tachypnea, verbalizing difficulty catching breath, eyes closed, and grunting), had medications being administered, and was in the middle of an ultrasound diagnostic test. These factors hindered communication to the nurse. The nurse was following emergent orders by the doctor such as Lasix IV and inserting a urinary catheter. Such tasks kept the nurse from maintaining frequent interaction with the