Sepsis is considered as a life-threatening medical condition that is caused by infections. As a result, sepsis represents a significant global health burden. Kim and Park (2019) assert that although the mortality rate of sepsis has decreased, the incidents of sepsis among patients have increased substantially. Nurses in the ER play an important role in identifying sepsis in patients due to the constant nurse-patient interaction. Therefore, sepsis screening can be incorporated as part of patient assessments and care rounds. According to Kleinpell (2017), nurse-led sepsis screening approaches have a significant impact on improving the early recognition of sepsis among patients. Sepsis screening can improve patient care by introducing early and effective sepsis care through: intravenous fluids, blood cultures, antibiotics, lactate, oxygen, and urine output (Kim and Park, 2019). In the ER sepsis screening can be integrated to improve the management of patients that are diagnosed with sepsis.
The implementation of a sepsis screening tool is mandatory since it is associated with a decreased mortality rate. According to Schorr et al. (2016) the routine screening of patients that are likely to be infected will improve early identification and treatment of sepsis. Thus, hospitals must integrate a performance improvement program that includes early detection and management of septic patients. The early detection of sepsis signs and symptoms can be achieved by effectively using the sepsis screening tool within the triage area in the emergency room. Steps that are involved in the early detection and management of sepsis include: quick identification, the application of empirical antibiotics, resuscitation and effective source control (Kim and Park, 2019). Therefore, by ensuring that there is prompt diagnosis of patients that are at a high risk of being septic, hospitals are likely to improve the quality of care administered to patients as well as the patients’ outcomes.
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The identified sepsis screening tool must be effective in enabling the nurses to recognize the early signs and symptoms among high risk sepsis patients. This way the nurses can identify and assess the signs and symptoms of sepsis that are exhibited at different stages of the disease. Morton et al. (2018) asserts that the sepsis screening tool assess the stage of sepsis as it provides the nurses with the evaluation based sepsis criteria. The tool allows the nurse to determine if the patient meets the criteria for suspected sepsis and the stage of sepsis that the patient presents. In addition to this, the sepsis screening tool enables the nurses to measure the extent of the disease from triage to treatment – and use it in identifying if the patient has the potential for sepsis.
Designing a nurse-based recognition and response program is important to improve patient care and outcome. Therefore, equipping the nurses with the appropriate skills, tools and knowledge, will enable them to integrate sepsis screening tool when they are attending to patients in the ER. For instance, an early recognition and response program can be integrated in a health facility’s electronic health record, screening and response protocols, and in the education and training programs of patients (Kleinpell, 2017). Such nurse-led sepsis screening approaches not only contribute to improved sepsis treatment but also lead to positive patient outcomes by increasing the survival rates of a patient.
The application of sepsis screening tool reduces the mortality rate in patients since it leads to both proximal and distal outcomes. The early recognition and treatment of sepsis results to proximal outcomes, since immediate positive outcomes in a patient can be detected due to the direct use of sepsis screening tool. On the other hand, distal outcomes refer to the patient morbidity and mortality that is connected with the implementation of the sepsis screening tool. According to Schultz et al. (2017), the consistent use of sepsis screening tool by triage nurses shows its reliability. Therefore, nursing education and training on how to implement the sepsis screening tool among nurses contribute to the effectiveness of early sepsis diagnosis and treatment. Overall, the validity and reliability of the sepsis screening tool is determined by the nurses’ ability to utilize the tool.
Sepsis screening tool is important since it allows the nurses in the triage area to identify sepsis in a patient and apply the appropriate treatment strategies on patient arrival in the emergency room. Schorr et al. (2016) explains that the availability of the screening tool in the emergency room provides the nurse with the chance to conduct a quick evaluation on the patient, and recognize if the patient has the potential of sepsis or sepsis-related condition. This shows that the sepsis screening tool is effective as it allows the nurses to detect the specific signs and symptoms of sepsis in a patient – and use the test results to recommend appropriate intervention strategies. Therefore, by implementing the sepsis screening tool and ensuring that the nurses can effectively utilize it, the hospital can improve patient outcomes through rapid action.
In conclusion, the implementation of sepsis screening tool in practice is effective in improving patient outcome as it paves way for early detection and treatment. Nurse-led detection and response program is essential to ensure that there is an increased proximal and distal outcome
References
Kim, H. I., & Park, S. (2019). Sepsis: Early Recognition and Optimized Treatment. Tuberculosis and respiratory diseases , 82 (1), 6–14. doi:10.4046/trd.2018.0041
Kleinpell R. (2017). Promoting early identification of sepsis in hospitalized patients with nurse-led protocols. Critical care (London, England) , 21 (1), 10. doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1590-0
Morton, B., Stolbrink, M., Kagima, W., Rylance, J., & Mortimer, K. (2018). The Early Recognition and Management of Sepsis in Sub-Saharan African Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health , 15 (9), 2017. doi:10.3390/ijerph15092017
Schorr, C., Odden, A., Evans, L., Escobar, G. J., Gandhi, S., Townsend, S., & Levy, M. (2016). Implementation of a multicenter performance improvement program for early detection and treatment of severe sepsis in general medical–surgical wards. Journal of hospital medicine , 11 , S32-S39.
Schultz, M. J., Dunser, M. W., Dondorp, A. M., Adhikari, N. K., Iyer, S., Kwizera, A., ... & Angus, D. C. (2017). Current challenges in the management of sepsis in ICUs in resource-poor settings and suggestions for the future. Intensive care medicine , 43 (5), 612-624.
