Myocardial Infarction in the ED

A 57-year-old male presents to the Emergency Department with chest pain. He reports that the pain started about an hour after dinner, while he was working. He describes the pain as a “crushing pressure” located midsternal and radiating down his left arm and to his back. He rates the pain as a 6/10. On assessment, the patient is diaphoretic, pale, and complains of shortness of breath.

Formerly Known As: Myocardial Infarction

Learning Objectives

– Utilize nursing skills to perform a focused physical assessment based on patient signs, symptoms, and complaints

– Participate in assessment by observing, collecting, recording, and reporting objective and subjective data accurately

– Demonstrate an understanding of medical terminology and pharmacologic therapy

– Identify and implement patient and family education needs

– Identify abnormal heart rhythms

– Utilize the Nursing Process and critical thinking skills in assessing, analyzing, planning, and providing patient-centered nursing care of patients with problems associated with respiratory, cardiac, and hematologic systems, immune system disorders, perioperative clients, and cancer

– Utilize technology to enhance productivity in patient documentation and inter-professional communication

– Incorporate the scientific rationale or pathophysiology of disease processes to support nursing interventions desirable for the client

– Communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, with the client and other inter-professional members of the healthcare team

– Apply professional, ethical, and legal standards to the care of patients in a diverse population

– Develop quality improvement measures to improve productivity and care of patients with cardiac conditions

– Demonstrate prioritization and decision making for patient with acute MI

– Utilize therapeutic communication techniques

– Apply SBAR for communication to provider