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. 2024 Jun 19;14(6):e079259.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079259.

Trauma nursing competency in the emergency department: a concept analysis

Dain Baik  1   2 , Nayeon Yi  3   4 , Ol Han  1   5 , Yeongeun Kim  1   6
Affiliations

Trauma nursing competency in the emergency department: a concept analysis

Dain Baik et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objectives: Despite numerous published concept analyses of nursing competency, the specific understanding of trauma nursing competency in emergency departments remains limited, with no clear definition. This study aimed to clarify the definitions and attributes of trauma nursing competencies in emergency departments.

Design: Walker and Avant's method was used to clarify the concept of trauma nursing competency in emergency departments.

Data sources: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and RISS were searched from inception to 23 April 2023.

Eligibility criteria: Relevant studies that included combinations of the terms 'nurse', 'nursing', 'emergency', 'trauma', 'competency', 'capability' and 'skill' were selected. We restricted the literature search to English and Korean full-text publications, with no limit on the publication period; grey literature was excluded.

Data extraction and synthesis: This study uses defining attributes, antecedents and consequences extracted through data analysis. To aid comprehension of the model, related and contrary cases of the concept were created, and empirical referents were defined.

Results: After excluding duplicates, irrelevant studies, incomplete texts and articles unrelated to the context and study population, 15 of the initial 927 studies were included. Five additional studies were added after a manual search of the references. The final concept analysis therefore included 20 studies. The attributes of trauma nursing competency for emergency nurses included 'rapid initial assessments considering injury mechanisms', 'priority determinations based on degrees of urgency and severity', 'clinical knowledge of trauma nursing', 'skills of trauma nursing', 'interprofessional teamwork' and 'emotional care'.

Conclusions: The concept analysis revealed that it is possible to promote the enhancement and development of trauma nursing competency in emergency departments across various contexts, such as clinical practice, education, research and organisational settings. This could ultimately improve trauma nursing quality and treatment outcomes.

Keywords: Clinical Competence; Emergency Departments; Nurses; Trauma Nursing.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The eight-step approach of Walker and Avant’s concept analysis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Antecedents, attributes and consequences of trauma nursing competency in the emergency department (ED). LOS, length of stay.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Flow diagram corresponding to the selection of the studies in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 format.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. National Emergency Medical Center . Emergency medical statistical annual report 2022. 2023. Available: https://www.e-gen.or.kr/nemc/statistics_annual_report.do
    1. Korean Statistical Information Service . Severe trauma fatality rate 2021. 2023. Available: https://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=177&tblId=DT_117105_2020_004...
    1. Nasr A, Tomasich FS, Collaço I, et al. . The Trauma Golden Hour: A Practical Guide. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2020.
    1. Malekifar E, Khalili R, Sadat Moayed M, et al. . Auditing the status of Prioritization of nursing actions in the trauma emergency Department. Int Emerg Nurs 2022;64. 10.1016/j.ienj.2022.101215 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Abhilash KPP, Sivanandan A. Early management of trauma: the golden hour. Curr Med Issues 2020;18:36. 10.4103/cmi.cmi_61_19 - DOI

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