|
|
CS451
When time is of the essence: An Early Nursing Intervention Team -poised to respond to the in-house stroke patient
By: Mary Lu Daly; Rochester General Hospital; NY
For further information, please contact: marylu.daly@viahealth.org
Purpose: Emergency room staff are able to identify and quickly begin treatment of stroke victims; however, in-patients are less likely to receive the same prompt stroke response. Our primary stroke center has taken an innovative approach to pre-emptively address this issue.
Description: Our Early Nursing Intervention Team (ENIT), a nurse-led Rapid Response Team, is poised to respond to the “in-house stroke” patient. Planning for an in-house stroke response involved several steps including education related to stroke etiology and presentation for all general care nurses and for ENIT responders. Additionally, the ENIT responders NIH stroke scale certification and received alteplase-administration training. Collaboration with the staff neurologists, stroke unit staff, and pharmacy was essential. With stroke training complete, we have begun to respond to calls concerning patients with a suspected stroke in progress. The ENIT nurse responds, collaborating with the patient’s nurse, the provider, and/or neurologist. He/she accompanies the patient to radiology for emergent CT imaging and administers alteplase if indicated. The patient will then be transferred to the stroke unit or to the MICU dependent on the patient’s condition. While in-house stroke is uncommon, our program of early recognition and prompt response preserves brain function. Incorporating in-house stroke response into the existing ENIT process was the logical solution to minimize or avert the devastating aftermath of an acute stroke event.
Evaluation and Outcomes: Our in-house stroke response was implemented in January 2007. To-date, there have been seven referrals for suspected in-house stroke. Two of these patients were deemed eligible for thrombolytic therapy. Both patients showed prompt improvement in neurologic symptoms. We are proud to be on the cutting edge of what we hope will soon become a nationwide movement in the care of the in-house stroke victim.
Poster Presentation: Click on the icon below to launch
Return to Poster Presentations
|
|
|
|
|
|