Emergency Nurses encounter a wide variety of patient populations in varying levels of acuity requiring stabilization. The Emergency Department (ED) is challenged with patients presenting in increasingly acute conditions requiring high-risk, low-volume interventions such as: arterial line placement, vasopressor initiation and titration, external ventricular drain placement, mechanical ventilation and trans-venous pacing wire placement. These interventions must be executed with a team approach, and the knowledge and comfort level of the bedside nurse is pivotal to ensuring the delivery of high-quality, safe patient care.
The Emergency Nurse Critical Care Fellowship (ENCCF) is an 11-week program designed to advance emergency nurses’ knowledge and skill with high-risk, low-volume interventions. This unique professional practice advancement program consists of combined lecture and simulation – high fidelity and low fidelity. Staff Nurse IV Jada Barton BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CCRN led an inter-professional team including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, paramedics, and respiratory therapists who collaborated to develop and deliver the curriculum of this fellowship. The initial cohort of ED Nurse Fellows consisted of seven nurses with varying levels of experience in Emergency Nursing.
The initial cohort of the ENCCF was a success with an average knowledge gain of 34 percent as assessed by written examination and return demonstration with equipment. More important, all seven learners left the program more confident in their advanced skills.
