Background: High acuity trauma and patients in cardiopulmonary arrest are not frequently seen in all pediatric Level I trauma centers. Yet, nurses are required to manage these patients in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.
Objective: This project aims to develop and evaluate an education program for high-risk, low-volume equipment and skills in the pediatric emergency department setting.
Methods: This is a pre- and post-quality improvement study conducted in a Northeastern United States pediatric Level I trauma center. Emergency department nurses were invited to view videos detailing high-risk, low-volume equipment use. For the convenience of access, Quick Response (QR) codes linked to the videos were placed on each piece of equipment reviewed. General self-efficacy and levels of self-efficacy in using the equipment were assessed before the intervention and again after 4 weeks from January to February 2023.
Results: A total of 43 pediatric emergency nurses participated in the education. The mean aggregate general self-efficacy score was 32.93. Mean scores in all areas (Level 1 rapid infuser, fluid warmer, blood administration, and securing an endotracheal tube) improved after the intervention.
Conclusions: Easily accessible, brief refresher videos linked to QR codes in the pediatric emergency department can help empower nurses who need to use high-risk, low-volume equipment.
Background: Nursing handoff of complete and accurate information is critical for patient safety yet is often difficult to achieve with consistency between nursing departments.
Objective: This quality improvement project aims to describe the development and piloting of a standardized handoff tool for administration by computer tablet for nursing report.
Methods: This descriptive quality improvement initiative was conducted in an 885-bed Level I trauma center in the Southeast Region of the United States. The study was completed in three phases. First, emergency department and trauma intensive care unit nurses were surveyed to determine handoff barriers and best practices. Second, the survey information was used to develop a standardized handoff tool incorporating tablet technology. Third, staff pilot testing was performed, followed by a final survey to ascertain staff feedback on the tool.
Results: A total of n = 120 nurses completed the surveys, and pilot testing was conducted on n = 177 patient handoffs. Ninety-five percent of nurses expressed satisfaction with the tool and 65% with the tablet.
Conclusion: This study supported using a standardized handoff tool between the emergency department and trauma intensive care unit and substantiated the benefits of using a tablet for face-to-face communication.

