Document Type

Capstone

Title

Emergency Department Nurses: Post Code Pause

Authors

Lynn Alice Hauck, Nova Southeastern University

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

Department

College of Nursing

First Advisor

Victor Ospina

Second Advisor

Kelly Henson-Evertz

Publication Date / Copyright Date

2019

Publisher

Nova Southeastern University

NSUWorks Citation

Lynn Alice Hauck. 2019. Emergency Department Nurses: Post Code Pause. Capstone. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Nursing. (70)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_con_stuetd/70.

Abstract

Background: The consistent witnessing of death and critical incidents takes an emotional toll on the emergency department (ED) nurses. In addressing critical incident events, research has shown us that debriefing nurses after a traumatic event helped reduce stress and, in turn, decreased staff turnover in the ED at an acute care facility (Hirschinger, Scott, & Hahn-Cover, 2015). Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project was to implement a Post Code Pause (PCP) debriefing tool in conjunction with the hospital’s Unit Practice Council (UPC) members and the ED direct patient care nurses for use after adult and pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), evaluate the evidence-based (EB) surveys results, and present the findings to administration stakeholders for consideration as a debriefing tool. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework selected for the Post Code Pause capstone project was the Crisis Intervention Stress Debriefing model by Mitchell (1997). Methods: The quasi-experimental project statistically analyzed the data from two EB pre- and post-surveys for the PCP and linked the data for a paired t-test using SPSS version 15. Results: The 27 pre- and post-surveys completed used a five-point Likert scale. Of the 27 pre- and post- surveys, five were linkable, which showed that 100% of the registered nurses involved in a PCP felt that it was a positive tool and 83% agreed it was a positive experience for the nurses. The nurses had a 4% increase in leadership support after the CPR event. Conclusion: The PCP debriefing provided a new stress management tool for the ED nurses. Thus, possibly providing the tools for stress relief and teamwork lowered staff turnover, retained experienced staff, and decreased sick calls.

Disciplines

Nursing

Keywords

emergency department, emergency room stress, nursing, nursing stress, post code pause, staff retention

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