Nursing Involvement in Prehospital Care

Extract

A tremendous impact can be made on prehospital care by Emergency Department nurses, and whether that impact is positive or negative depends on the groundwork that has been laid for the prehospital program. If the program is based on the team concept, with all members having the same goal to provide the highest level of patient care possible, then nursing can have a very positive impact. The key phrase is “include nursing,” in all aspects of the program planning and operation. If nurses are excluded, they can hardly be expected to be part of the team, when they haven't even been told the game plan. A survey of Emergency Department nurses from hospitals that range from University teaching facilities to small rural hospitals was conducted. The survey focused on two areas; the first dealt with the degree of nursing involvement in the prehospital program, and the second addressed nurses' attitudes toward the program.