Emergency department nursing management of patients with orthopedic fractures resulting from motor vehicle accidents.

Nursing management of patients with orthopedic fractures resulting from motor vehicle accidents is a frequent challenge for nurses in an emergency department setting. The nurse must have knowledge of the mechanics of injury, the classification of the resulting fracture types, and the usual medical interventions. In addition, emergency department nurses should follow plans of care that are based on nursing diagnoses so that appropriate nursing interventions can be determined and consistently provided. Initiation of these care plans must not be delayed until the patient is admitted to an inpatient nursing unit, but should be begun in the emergency unit setting. This article presents information that the emergency room nurse needs in order to make plans for nursing care, and discusses seven nursing diagnoses that are almost always appropriate for patients seen in the emergency department who are experiencing orthopedic fractures resulting from motor vehicle accidents.