Page 177 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

144 n EMERGENCY NURSiNG

and certification. The ENA (2009) has delin- of the institute is to conduct and facilitate
eated scope and standards of care for emer- research to support evidence-based practices
E gency nurses and includes a document on for emergency nursing and emergency care
advanced practice nurses in emergency care. (ENA, n.d.-c). The specific goals include the
Emergency nurses are accountable for the following: (1) to develop a culture of research
care they provide to patients. This account- to advance emergency nursing and emer-
ability requires certification. Emergency gency care by promoting knowledge genera-
nurses can receive certification in emergency tion, knowledge application, and knowledge
nursing (Certified Emergency Nurse), flight transfer; (2) to facilitate the development of
nursing (Certified Flight Registered Nurse), researchers in emergency nursing through
pediatric emergency nursing (Certified education, mentoring, networking, and col-
Pediatric Emergency Nurse), or critical care laborative research opportunities; (3) to set
ground transport nursing (Certified Trans- research priorities for the discipline of emer-
port Registered Nurse) offered by the Board gency nursing; (4) to enhance collaboration
of Certification for Emergency Nursing among researchers within ENA and counter-
(n.d.) in collaboration with other entities. parts in the public and private sectors; and
Currently, more than 23,000 nurses are certi- (5) to facilitate the generation of evidence-
fied by Board of Certification for Emergency based emergency nursing resources (ENA,
Nursing (n.d.). n.d.-c).
Established in 1970, the ENA is the pri- To provide a focus for ED nurse research-
mary organization for emergency nurses in ers, the institute developed research priorities
the United States. The mission of ENA is to for the field of emergency nursing. Research
advocate for patient safety and excellence priorities include investigations that address
in emergency nursing practice (ENA, n.d.-b) the generation, dissemination, and transla-
with approximately 37,000 members. ENA tion of research related to three broad areas:
offers education programs and courses to (1) the clinical priorities identified by ENA—
meet the needs of emergency nurses around crowding/boarding, psychiatric emergency
the world. These programs include review patient care, and workplace violence; (2) the
courses for certification as an emergency emergency nursing professional practice
nurse, the Certified Emergency Nurse. Other issues—examples of research areas include
review courses offered by the ENA include nurse orientation, continuing education, and
Trauma Nursing Core Course, Emergency assurance of competence of emergency nurs-
Nursing Pediatric Course, Course in ing practices as well as ED staffing patterns
Advanced Trauma Nursing, and Geriatric and the impact of the staffing on patient
Emergency Nursing Education. Additional outcomes; and (3) the Joint Commission’s
example programs/courses include triage, National Patient Safety Goals—examples of
orientation, educator references for profes- research areas include improving the accu-
sional and patient education, age-specific racy of patient identification, the effective-
program, family-focused programs, conduct- ness of communication among caregivers,
ing research and grant writing, and courses the safety of using medications, and the
that cross the life span for injury prevention recognition and response to changes in a
(ENA, n.d.-a). patient’s condition as well as reducing the
To expand research efforts in emer- risk of health care–associated infections,
gency nursing, ENA took the lead by initi- patient harm resulting from falls, influenza
ating an institute for Emergency Nursing and pneumococcal disease, and health care–
Research Committee and in 2009 transi- associated pressure ulcers (ENA, n.d.-c).
tioned this committee to an institute for A review of research publications and
Emergency Nursing Research. The mission presentations including posters displayed