Semester Wrap Up

            Well, I can’t believe the semester is already coming to an end and my project is still in full swing! It’s crazy to think how fast this past semester has flown by. With that being said, it’s time to provide a summery of my project thus far.

            After getting off to a slow start, things started to pick up rather quickly. Due to scheduling conflicts, problems gaining computer access, and evolving project goals, I wasn’t able to really get going on my project until about the beginning of October.

            Once we had decided on which screening tools to use and had finished compiling our collection packet, we gained our IRB approval and I was “off and running”. Our goal was to collect data on about 50 patients over the age of 65 and then begin analyzing the data. During the data collection, I tried as best as I could to follow the patients from the time they arrive in the ER until they are either discharged or admitted to a unit. While they are in the ER, I documented any medications they received, medications they are currently taking, as well as any invasive procedures performed. The main documentation that I did was doing the cognitive assessments on the patients every hour to try and monitor for changes in mental status.

            Monitoring for changes in mental status is very important especially when caring for elderly patients in an ER setting because if the underlying cause is not treated then they have an incredibly high risk of returning to the ER, which leads to overcrowding, decreased quality of care, and increased health care costs.

            There has been quite a lot of research done on how to monitor for cognitive changes on patients in an ICU setting, but not so much in an ER setting. What we are finding is that the instruments that are commonly used in the ICU actually are not ideal for an ER setting; there needs to be more objective tools used that have a scale to show cognitive change.

            So far, we are about halfway done with the data collection process and are starting to enter the data into an analyzing software program so that we can start sifting through all of our results, which is VERY exciting! I have learned so much from this project and I am so grateful for the experience.

            Even though the semester is coming to an end, my project is really just getting started and I continue to look forward to updating you all on the status of it!