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Education Position Statement (FOR REVIEW BY CENNZ)
December 2006
College of Emergency Nurses New Zealand (CENNZ) – NZNO
Position Statement: Education
Introduction: Quote from mission statement “The College of Emergency Nurses New Zealand - NZNO is committed to the advancement of Emergency Nursing in New Zealand/Aotearoa.”
Education enables nurses to meet current and the future changing health needs of our patients.
Nursing education is a process that begins with the preparation of nurses for registration and continues throughout the nurse’s professional lifespan.
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Emergency Department Service Specifications
September 2024
Health NZ Te Whatu ora Tier Two Emergency Department Services.
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Nursing Graduates in Emergency Departments
October 2024
The College of Emergency Nurses New Zealand CENNZ – NZNO:
- Defines a nursing graduate as a qualified nurse in their first year of nursing practice.
- Advocates for an intensive development programme to support graduate nurses through ongoing education, supervision and mentorship throughout the first year of practice.
- Recommends that employers work with the NetP programme (NETP Programme Steering Group, 2006) to offer new graduate placements as emergency nurses.
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Nursing Staff requirements in Emergency Departments
March 2022
The maintenance of appropriate levels of emergency nursing staff is critical to the ability of emergency departments to provide quality equitable health care for patients and a safe working environment.
The College of Emergency Nurses New Zealand - NZNO supports policies and processes that allow nurses to formulate appropriate staffing plans specific to each emergency department. This approach acknowledges that many factors influence the staffing requirements, and enable the flexibility needed to respond to changing circumstances. The following factors must be included in the development of safe staffing requirements for EDs: baseline operational requirements; capacity to respond to surges in patient numbers and acuity; individual and service speciality knowledge and skill requirements (skill-mix) and workflow forecasting models. Appropriately educated and experienced nurses must be provided for triage, resuscitation, and coordinating positions to ensure patient safety.
The provision of adequate staffing resources is the responsibility of employers.
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Patient Handover - Emergency Department
October 2024
Endorsed at the CENNZ NZNO Annual General Meeting held in October 2013
CENNZ recognises that the impact of ineffective handoffs/transfers includes such adverse events as delays in diagnosis and treatment, fragmented care, breaches in care, medication errors, conflicting communication, duplication of procedures/tests, lower provider and patient satisfaction, higher costs, longer and more frequent hospital stays, and patient deaths.
The patient handover includes the transfer of care; at the change of shift, transfer between diagnostic areas, transfer to inpatient units or wards, or to other healthcare facilities.
CENNZ believes that nurses should utilise a standardised approach to communication for the handover of a patient’s care between staff i.e. when the responsibility of the patient’s care is transferred between healthcare team members.
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Position Statement on Overcrowding
October 2024
The College of Emergency Nurses New Zealand – NZNO recognises the detrimental effect of overcrowding on the safety and quality of care provided in the Emergency Department.
Overcrowding occurs when the number of patients waiting to be seen, undergoing assessment and treatment, or waiting for departure exceeds the available physical or resource capacity. During episodes of overcrowding there is increased risk to patients and decreased quality of care.
The situation is multifactorial and requires whole of system strategies to decrease the incidence of overcrowding and provide effective pathways to restore safe operation for patients and staff.
Position Statement on redirection of patients from EDs
November 2022
Endorsed at the 2022 CENNZ-NZNO Annual General Meeting.
The College of Emergency Nurses believes that for redirection to safely occur from the ED, robust processes must be in place to ensure the safety of patients and emergency nurses. This position statement details CENNZ’s recommended redirection requirements.
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Position statement on Triaging Away
November 2022
Endorsed at the 2022 CENNZ-NZNO Annual General Meeting.
The College of Emergency Nurses believes that health care should not be denied to any patient requesting care from an emergency department.
The College of Emergency Nurses does not support the practice of triaging away.
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Position Statement: Violence and Aggression In the Emergency Department
October 2024
Endorsed at the CENNZ NZNO Annual General Meeting October 2016, The College of Emergency Nurses New Zealand (CENNZ) NZNO is committed to a position of zero tolerance to acts of violence or aggression within the emergency department or accident and medical settings. CENNZ is committed to supporting nurses in addressing issues of personal safety and patient safety in the clinical workplace.
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Role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist - Emergency Department
October 2024
Endorsed at the CENNZ NZNO Annual General Meeting November 2021
The College of Emergency Nurses New Zealand (CENNZ) NZNO is committed to the advancement of professional nursing roles, and the integration of Clinical Nurse Specialist roles within Emergency Department teams.
CENNZ believes that the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) role within the emergency setting makes a significant contribution, to the health of the New Zealand community.
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In 2024, The College of Emergency Nurses New Zealand (CENNZ) developed three new position statements to clearly define our stance on key issues affecting emergency nurses and stakeholders. These statements provide guidance and direction on best practices, ethical considerations, and professional standards.
New Position Statements:
CENNZ Emergency Department Position Nurse Practitioner (NP)
CENNZ supports the establishment and integration of Mātanga Tapuhi | Nurse Practitioner roles within Emergency Department (ED) teams.
CENNZ Emergency Department Position Statement Pae Ora
CENNZ works to improve the environment for Māori accessing care and supports the Māori nursing workforce in the Emergency Department (ED).
CENNZ Emergency Department Position Statement Triage
This position statement describes the role and scope of the triage nurse within emergency departments (EDs) and urgent-care settings.
These new position statements were approved through the voting process at AGM 2024. CENNZ considers the focus subjects of these position statements essential and hopes they will be widely utilized.
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