Pediatric Readiness in the Emergency Department

• Published in: Journal of emergency nursing 2019-01, Vol.45 (1), p.e3-e18
• Main Authors: Remick, Katherine, Gausche-Hill, Marianne, Joseph, Madeline M., Brown, Kathleen, Snow, Sally K., Wright, Joseph L., Wright, Joseph, Adirim, Terry, Agus, Michael S.D., Callahan, James, Gross, Toni, Lane, Natalie, Lee, Lois, Mazor, Suzan, Mahajan, Prashant, Timm, Nathan, Alade, Kiyetta, Amato, Christopher, Avarello, Jahn T., Baldwin, Steven, Barata, Isabel A., Benjamin, Lee S., Berg, Kathleen, Bullard-Berent, Jeffrey, Dietrich, Ann Marie, Friesen, Phillip, Gerardi, Michael, Heins, Alan, Holtzman, Doug K., Homme, Jeffrey, Horeczko, Timothy, Ishimine, Paul, Lam, Samuel, Long, Katharine, Mayz, Kurtis, Mehta, Sanjay, Mellick, Larry, Ojo, Aderonke, Paul, Audrey Z., Pauze, Denis R., Pearson, Nadia M., Perina, Debra, Petrack, Emory, Rayburn, David, Rose, Emily, Russell, W. Scott, Ruttan, Timothy, Saidinejad, Mohsen, Sanders, Brian, Simpson, Joelle, Solari, Patrick, Stoner, Michael, Valente, Jonathan H., Wall, Jessica, Wallin, Dina, Waseem, Muhammad, Whiteman, Paula J., Woolridge, Dale, Young, Tiffany, Foresman-Capuzzi, Joyce, Johnson, Rose, Martin, Heather, Milici, Justin, Brandt, Cam, Nelson, Nicholas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Best practice; Child; Children; Community hospitals; Emergency medical care; Emergency Medical Services; Emergency Service, Hospital - standards; Emergency services; emergency treatment; Evidence-Based Emergency Medicine; Guidelines; Health Services Accessibility - standards; Health Services Needs and Demand; Hospitals; Humans; Leadership; Life threatening; Medical directors; Pain management; Patient Care Team; Pediatric readiness; Pediatrics; Pediatrics - methods; Psychosocial factors; Quality Improvement; Quality of care; United States
• ISSN: 0099-1767; 1527-2966
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jen.2018.10.003

Note: This is a revision of the previous joint policy statement titled “Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department.” Children have unique physical and psychosocial needs that are heightened in the setting of serious or life-threatening emergencies. The majority of ill and injured children are brought to community hospital emergency departments (EDs) by virtue of proximity. It is, therefore, imperative that all EDs have the appropriate resources (medications, equipment, policies, and education) and capable staff to provide effective emergency care for children. This policy statement outlines resources necessary for EDs to stand ready to care for children of all ages. These recommendations are consistent with the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (now called the National Academy of Medicine) in its report “The Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System.” Although resources within emergency and trauma care systems vary locally, regionally, and nationally, it is essential that ED staff, administrators, and medical directors seek to meetor exceedthese recommendations to ensure high-quality emergency care is available for all children. These updated recommendations are intended to serve as a resource for clinical and administrative leadership of EDs as they strive to improve their readiness for children of all ages.