An intervention to improve retention in emergency nursing.

The UK has a serious shortage of nurses and for the first time in recent nursing history 27% more UK registrants left the register in 2016-2017 than joined it. Emergency nurses are particularly affected as their environment is unpredictable, fast-paced and increasingly crowded. This article reports the results of a study of a successful initiative to retain senior emergency nurses in a London trust.

End of life care in the emergency department.

The importance of end of life care (EoLC) for patients and their families is well documented, however, the skills and knowledge of emergency clinicians in delivering EoLC is not widely understood but it is clear from the existing literature that we fall short in delivering consistently good EoLC although there is recognition of the need to improve. This paper will acknowledge the challenges of delivering good EoLC in the emergency department (ED) but more importantly consider practical ways of improving EoLC in the ED in line with best practice guidelines on EoLC.

A comparison in independent nurse prescribing and patient group directions by nurse practitioners in the emergency department: a cross sectional review.

Aim: To explore nurse prescribing in an emergency department using patient group directions versus independent nurse prescribing.

Background: Patient group directions allow restricted access to medication in unselected patients using pre-set criteria. Independent nurse prescribing is a flexible method of medication provision.

The 'Silver Book' on elderly care in hospitals and community settings.

The number of people aged 85 and over is set to increase by two-thirds in the next 20 years, making it imperative that appropriate structures are in place and guidance is available for clinicians in every setting on best practice in caring for older people over the first 24 hours of an urgent care episode. This article discusses the launch of the Silver Book, which recommends ways in which emergency admissions can be reduced and the experience of those admitted improved.

Treatment of older people in emergency departments.

The UK has an ageing population, which means that more and more older people with complex social and healthcare problems will present to emergency departments (EDs). This article explains why ED staff must have appropriate training and education in all aspects of caring for frail older people, including the use of appropriate and specific assessment tools. The authors also refer to a soon-to-be-published guideline for the care of frail older people with emergency care needs.

Using discovery interviews to understand the patient experience.

Ensuring and maintaining patients' dignity have been defining attributes of good nursing for the past 150 years and should be quality indicators by which nurses can measure their performance. In recent years, however, the demands for health care, rising life expectancy, and the speed of medical advances may have hindered nurses from ensuring privacy and dignity. In some cases, this has led to poor experiences for patients and there have been calls for a renewed focus on these attributes.

Relocation of an emergency service.

Moving to new facilities is common in today's health service because of mergers, the restructuring of units and improvements in service delivery. Central to the success of such relocation projects is the involvement of clinical teams. This article describes the various stages of a successful relocation of an emergency unit in London, and its co-location with a newly created polyclinic.

Sampling rare populations.

Sampling rare populations presents many challenges. In caring for those who experience social exclusion, nurses are well placed to conduct research into these hard-to-reach populations. This article by Mary Dawood discusses some of the sampling methods used.

Alcohol-related presentations in the emergency department.

Alcohol-related problems and binge drinking pose continuing challenges to nurses nationally and internationally. To provide optimum care for this vulnerable group and sound advice to hazardous drinkers, it is essential that nurses are knowledgeable and competent in this area of practice.

ENP review clinics.

As public expectations of the health service progressively increase, there will be greater pressure to increase the staffing of A&E. departments. An additional expectation is that the public wants the provision of local services.