Lisa Wolf

• PhD
• Managing Director at Emergency Nurses Association

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to describe how emergency nurses receive and share information about practice concerns related to abortion bans. BACKGROUND In the United Sates, details of abortion bans are changing and create confusion around clinical and legal implications with attendant challenges in maintaining communication. METHODS...

Background Professional ethics in nursing exist to guide care and allow for decision-making to be patient-centered. In the current medicolegal landscape post-Roe and in light of bans on gender-affirming care, the decision-making processes of emergency nurses in the clinical environment of care as informed by both professional and personal ethics ar...

BACKGROUND Basic trauma education for emergency department (ED) staff is available, but there are currently no advanced trauma nursing practice standards for ED nurses. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to identify consensus-based elements of an advanced trauma nursing program for ED nurses. METHODS We used a modified Delphi process with th...

Objective Given the aging population and growing burden of frailty, we conducted this scoping review to describe the available literature regarding the use and impact of frailty assessment tools in the assessment and care of emergency department (ED) patients older than 60 years. Methods A search was made of the available literature using the Covi...

Background Accurate emergency department (ED) triage in the geriatric population is an important nurse-sensitive quality indicator; however, few quality indicators are verified for impact. Purpose To examine the relationship between triage accuracy in adults older than 65 years and Core Measures for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart fail...

Introduction: The study purpose was to obtain an understanding of both the types of questions mandated for the triage encounter in emergency departments across the United States and how emergency nurses perceive the relevance of these questions to the triage process. Methods: A qualitative descriptive exploratory study using focus group data was...

Introduction: Previous research describes a significant knowledge deficit in obstetrical care in emergency settings. In a post-Roe environment, additional medicolegal challenges are documented across the obstetrics and gynecology landscape, but an understudied care setting is the emergency department, where patients may present to a practice envir...

Purpose/aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the current practice of clinical nurse specialists working in US emergency care settings to (1) explicate the application of the Emergency Nurses Association core competencies and define the specialized clinical nurse specialist role in emergency care and (2) align current clinical nurse speci...

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to obtain a broad view of the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and lived experiences of emergency nurses regarding implicit and explicit bias. Methods: An exploratory, descriptive, sequential mixed-methods approach using online surveys and focus groups to generate study data. Two validated instruments we...

Introduction: Clinical judgment is imperative for the emergency nurse caring for the acutely ill patients often seen in the emergency department. Without optimal clinical judgment in the emergency department, patients are at risk of medical errors and a failure to rescue. Methods: A descriptive observational approach using the Lasater Clinical J...

Aim: To validate and refine Benjamin and Jacelon's 2021 definition of patient flow management using the experience and knowledge of practicing emergency department nurses. Background: Patient flow requires complex, real-time decision-making to match patients to limited resources and facilitate their movement through care processes. A literature-...

Introduction Charge nurses (CNs) are shift leaders who manage resources and facilitate patient care, yet CNs in EDs receive minimal training, with implications for patient safety and emergency nursing practice. The purpose of the study was to describe the experiences of emergency nurses related to training, preparation, and function of the CN role....

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with organ dysfunction and is a leading cause of death and critical illness worldwide. Accurate detection of sepsis during emergency department triage would allow early initiation of lab analysis, antibiotic administration, and other sepsis treatment protocols. The purpose of this study was to determine whethe...

Background: There is no identified set of nursing-sensitive, emergency department (ED)-specific quality indicators. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to address the gap in quality indicators specific to the emergency care environment and identify a list of nursing-sensitive, ED-specific quality indicators across ED populations and phases of...

Background: Forensic nursing is a specialty deployed in patient care areas, including emergency departments, intensive care units, labor and delivery suites, and psychiatric units treating persons who have suffered trauma from a violent or criminal act. The recognition of violence-related injuries in patients presenting to health care facilities i...

The health care system is stressed as never before; the challenges for both direct-care nurses and nursing leaders have been enormous. We are at a point, however, where opportunities to reframe and reclaim the purpose and value of nursing are emerging. This article aims to provide both an overview of challenges to individuals and organizations, and...

The demands of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in an increased physical, clinical, and emotional workload for healthcare workers. Both the Veterans Affairs system and the Emergency Nurses Association have recognized the specific hazards and health risks of providing frontline care in this unprecedented global emergency including an increase in...

Objectives eSuicide rates are rising in the United States. As emergency department (ED) providers often have limited training in management of suicidal patients and minimal access to mental health experts, clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) may improve care for these patients. However, clinical practice guidelines that do not adhere to quality sta...

Situational analysis is not commonly used in nursing research; however, its usefulness in examining complicated phenomena that are locally situated makes it an effective approach to emergency nursing problems. This paper describes the situational analysis approach as an extension of the grounded theory method and uses 3 studies to demonstrate the e...

Background Workplace bullying in health care settings, including emergency departments (EDs), is a significant and negative factor in the dynamics of patient care, nursing work culture, and nurse retention. Specifically, workplace bullying has a significant and negative effect on patient care, with both direct (errors and substandard care) and indi...

Introduction The accuracy of an initial ED triage decision has been reported to drive the clinical trajectory for ED patients, and, therefore, this assessment is critical to patient safety. The Emergency Severity Index—a 5-point score assigned by a triage nurse and based on disease acuity, patient potential for decompensation, and anticipated resou...

Background: In areas where obstetric services are not available, emergency departments often become the default for unplanned obstetric care, yet emergency nurses are not universally trained in the identification and treatment of obstetric emergencies. The purpose of this study was to explore emergency nurses' perception of acuity in the triage of...

Introduction Triage is critical to mitigating the effect of increased volume by determining patient acuity, need for resources, and establishing acuity-based patient prioritization. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether historical EHR data can be used with clinical natural language processing and machine learning algorith...

Introduction Emergency nurses are exposed to both primary and secondary trauma with attendant sequelae in both work and personal spheres. The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence of traumatic stress, measured by the secondary traumatic stress scale (STSS) in a sample of emergency nurses and describe the impact of traumatic stress...

Effective triage is critical to mitigating the effect of increased volume by accurately determining patient acuity, need for resources, and establishing effective acuity-based patient prioritization. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether historical EHR data can be extracted and synthesized with clinical natural language p...

The phrase 'cut the Gordian knot' describes a bold and direct solution to a complicated problem. Nursing presence has been defined as nurses' ability to pay attention to patients and make them feel that their needs have been considered. In the emergency department (ED), nursing presence can be adversely affected by factors such as fatigue, workplac...

Background: Waiting is an inevitable experience in all emergency departments (EDs). This waiting time may negatively influence the patients and their relatives' satisfaction, healthcare professionals' (HCPs) performance, and the quality of care provided. This study aims to explore, gain understanding of and describe what it is like to wait in an I...

Objective: To investigate changes in emergency nursing workload related to cannabis ingestion or inhalation by adult and pediatric patients in states and bordering states where recreational cannabis is legal. Design: Qualitative exploratory design using data collected from focus groups. Sample: Twenty-four English-speaking emergency nurses ove...

Introduction: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 136.9 million ED visits in 2015, of which 21.4 million (15.6%) were by patients who were 65 or older. This US population demographic is expected to grow by 112% over the next 40 years, becoming just below 25% of the total US population. Emergency nurses will play an increas...

Introduction: Caring for suicidal patients can be challenging, especially in emergency departments without easy access to mental health specialists. The American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention appointed a working group to create an easy-to-use suicide prevention tool for ED providers. Methods:...

Introduction: Injury from firearms is a significant problem in the United States, accounting for 73% of all homicides and 50% of all suicides that occurred among US residents. What is not known are the perceptions of emergency nurses regarding the impact of in-home access on the risk for firearm-related injury and death in their patient population...

Introduction: Screening for suicidality is a critical nursing function at the initial ED encounter. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, and a substantial percentage of people who die by suicide present for health care in the year before their deaths. The emergency department provides health care professionals with a c...

Background: The Institute of Medicine recognizes that the workplace environment is a crucial factor in the ability of nurses to provide safe and effective care, and thus interactions that affect the quality and safety of the work environment require exploration. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to use situational analysis to develop a g...

Introduction: Triage, as it is understood in the context of the emergency department, is the first and perhaps the most formal stage of the initial patient encounter. Bottlenecks during intake and long waiting room times have been linked to higher rates of patients leaving without being seen. The solution in many emergency departments has been to...

Introduction: Little information has been published regarding the actual practice, training, and validation of basic skills and competencies needed by the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) in the emergency care setting. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify skills being performed by APRNs practicing in emergency care settings (2);...

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between reported sleep, perceived fatigue and sleepiness, and cognitive performance. Background: Although evidence suggests that fatigue and sleepiness affect the provision of care in inpatient units, there is a lack of research on the sleep patterns of emergency nurses and the effe...

Methods: We used a qualitative exploratory design with focus group data from a sample of 26 emergency nurses. Themes were identified using a constructivist perspective and an inductive approach to content analysis. Results: Five themes were identified: (1) unsafe environment of care, (2) components of safety, (3) patient outcomes: risky care, (4...

Excellent patient care within the emergency department requires interdisciplinary training, teamwork, and communication to manage the chaos of the environment. Specifically, invasive procedures required to manage airway, breathing, and circulation via intubation, chest compressions, and establishing intravenous access can provide a direct benefit t...

Introduction: Moral distress in nursing has been studied in many settings, but there is a paucity of research on moral distress as it manifests in the emergency department. One study suggests a correlation between moral distress and aspects of burnout, and other researchers report that nurses have considered leaving their position or even their pr...

The importance of end-of-life (EOL) care for dying patients and their families is well described; however, little research has been performed in emergency settings. The purpose of this study was to explore emergency nurses' perceptions of challenges and facilitators in the care of patients at the EOL. A mixed-methods design using survey data (N = 1...

Behavioural health patients often have longer lengths of stay in the emergency department compared with general medical patients, and their modalities of care are not well documented. This study's purpose is to describe US emergency nurses' estimates of lengths of stay for behavioural health patients, explore factors affecting length of stay, and a...

The 2014 outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa has presented a significant public health crisis to the international health community and challenged US emergency departments to prepare for patients with a disease of exceeding rarity in developed nations. With the presentation of patients with Ebola to US acute care facilities, ethica...

The purpose of this study was to obtain information about individual and environmental factors that affect clinical decision making regarding urinary catheter placement and maintenance as reported by a sample of emergency nurses in the United States. A qualitative exploratory design featuring focus group data collection and analysis methods was use...

The leading cause of death in children and young adults is traumatic injury. An understanding of mechanism and kinematics is critical to determine the potential for serious injury as serious injuries in a child may not be evident initially. An unclear presentation may require radiographic examination to rule out serious injury. This article will he...

Introduction There is a lack of evidence-based criteria for the discharge of patients receiving Schedule II and III narcotic medications in the emergency department. The purpose of this study was to understand nurses’ perceptions about common practices in the discharge of patients receiving Schedule II and III narcotics in the emergency department...

Background: Behavioural health patients often have longer lengths of stay in the emergency department compared with general medical patients, and their modalities of care are not well documented. This study's purpose is to describe US emergency nurses' estimates of lengths of stay for behavioural health patients, explore factors affecting length of...

Workplace violence has been recognized as a violent crime that requires targeted responses from employers, law enforcement, and the community. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the most common source of nonfatal injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work in the health care and social assistance industry was assault on...

This study was conducted to determine educational needs and identify potentially effective educational modalities for emergency nurses working in rural and critical access hospitals. Although 50% of all emergency department visits to critical access hospitals are low-acuity cases, the 4.0% transfer rate in critical access hospitals is significantly...

You are concerned about something in your clinical practice; you are aware that the way a certain procedure is performed is, well, archaic. Or, perhaps a process for how patients navigate through the emergency department is so inefficient that it affects patient outcomes. You are sure that there must be a better way that can improve the quality of...

To explore the relationship between multiple variables within a model of critical thinking and moral reasoning. A quantitative descriptive correlational design using a purposive sample of 200 emergency nurses. Measured variables were accuracy in clinical decision-making, moral reasoning, perceived care environment, and demographics. Analysis was by...

Whilst collaborating with members of the emergency team, the emergency nurse plays a crucial role in the identification and care of patients with medical, surgical and injury related emergencies. In Africa, as well as all over the world, the practice of emergency nursing is extremely challenging. In November 2011, an international emergency nursing...

Abstract Whilst collaborating with members of the emergency team, the emergency nurse plays a crucial role in the identification and care of patients with medical, surgical and injury related emergencies. In Africa, as well as all over the world, the practice of emergency nursing is extremely challenging. In November 2011, an international emergenc...