An analysis of the triage system in Emergency Departments in Indonesia

Researchers: Nana Rochana, Virginia Plummer, Julia Morphet

Increasing numbers of people seeking emergency care in emergency departments (EDs) around the world with different medical problems needs to be managed.

Recently, triage systems in some countries have developed markedly, especially in developed countries, such as Australia, Canada, The United Kingdom, and The United States. In some other countries including Indonesia, on the other hand, triage practices seem to slowly develop. Triage systems in Indonesia are still in a great deal of confusion.

This research describes the triage system in EDs in Indonesia.

Occupational stress among Emergency Department Nurses in Saudi Arabia

Researchers: Waleed Alshehri, Virginia Plummer, Kelli Innes

In Saudi Arabia, Emergency Department nurses anecdotally report high levels of stress which affects them and has a negative impact on their performances, attitude and perception. There is no literature on the Saudi Arabian experience, therefore this is the first study that seeks to identify and describe the sources of occupational stress among the Emergency Department nurses in Saudi Arabia. The purpose is to inform nurse educators, employers and emergency services about what nurses are experiencing which may enable strategies to be developed to minimise those stressors and improve the workplace and subsequently the care for patients in the future.

Perceptions of preparedness among nurses for disaster management in Saudi Arabia

Researchers: Abdulellah Al Thobaity, Virginia Plummer, Kelli Innes, Beverley Copnell

This study seeks to document the preparedness of nurses in Saudi Arabia, based on a study by Murad A. Al Khalaileh, Elaine Bond and Jafar A. Alasad of nurses’ preparedness in Jordan in 2011. To date, there are no documented studies about disaster preparedness among nurses in Saudi Arabia found in the literature. This study will, for the first time, inform employers, nurse educators and emergency services about the level of preparedness of the largest sector of the emergency health workforce in Saudi Arabia. The study aims to describe the awareness of nurses in Saudi Arabia regarding knowledge, skills and preparedness for disaster management and to inform nurse educators, employers and emergency services about what nurses need to assist them in their role.

Simulation education and Papua New Guinea nurses’ decision‐making in chest pain management

Researchers: Thompson Telepo, Virginia Plummer, Jenny Newton

This study focuses on simulation education used as a teaching strategy in educating nurses’ in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The nurses are from PNG, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands and undertaking Bachelor of Clinical Nursing at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG).

The aim of the study was to evaluate any changes in the postgraduate nurses’ decision making, before the intervention, immediately after, and post 5 weeks intervention. The ‘effect of simulation education’ on nurses’ knowledge and skills may improve after the intervention.

A one‐group pre‐tested‐post‐tested experimental design was used.  A convenience sample of 22 nurses was recruited from the Division of Nursing, UPNG.  This study adapts Jeffries (2005) conceptual framework on simulation education use in developing, designing, delivering, and diffusing in educating nurses.

Nurses attitude toward family presence during resuscitation in Saudi hospitals

Researchers: Abbas Al Mutair, Virginia Plummer, Beverley Copnell

In Saudi Arabia, when patients are resuscitated their families do not commonly attend, including when children are involved.  The presence of family in the patient care area during resuscitation events is a new concept to Saudi Arabia, however it is highly recommended by many health organizations worldwide for several reasons including patient and family rights. There are few policies or guidelines in Saudi Arabia to guide health professionals in their practice around the option of family presence during resuscitations. The lack of policy may be because nurses do not embrace the concept. The purpose of the study is to identify the nurses' attitudes toward family presence during resuscitation. This study is highly significant because the results expected potentially inform future policy development in this concept area of nursing practice.

A quantitative descriptive design was used to explore the attitudes of nurses of King Fahad Hospital‐Hofuf and Prince Saud Ben Jalwy Hospital at Al Hassa city in Saudi Arabia towards family presence during resuscitation. Through a self administered structured questionnaire 137 nurses were surveyed. The nurses were required to complete it within two weeks and the response rate was 48.9%. The sample was average of categories of nurses working in the two hospitals and has no less than one year working experience.