The Emergency Medicine Programme Strategy was launched in 2012 outlining the future direction and requirement for Emergency Care Networks in Ireland.

A large number of guidelines and pathways have been developed by the Programme to standardise care and processes across hospitals.

Some of the guidelines produced include:

• Irish Children’s Triage System
• Patient Visiting Protocol
• Infection Control Algorithm
• Pain Management Guidelines
• Protocol for the administration of Paracetamol at Triage in EDs 
• Manchester Triage Rollout and Audit Tool
• Guidance for the Recovery of Emergency medicine Services Following a Hospital Major Emergency
• ED best practice guides

The Programme has mapped out current capacity and identified gaps in service at a variety of levels including:

• Emergency Care Network definition
• Nursing Workforce Planning
• ED Cubicle Assessment
• ED Workforce Survey
• Medical Workforce Planning in conjunction with HSE National Doctors Training and Planning
• IU Staffing Model
• ANP Development Plan and Model
• Nursing Role Profiles
• Governance in ED
• CDU Model

The Programme links with a number of other NCPs to develop relevant tools to the Emergency Department.

• Post Triage Mental Health Triage Tool
• Mental Health Transport Protocol
• Pathway for the Early Identification and Initial Management of Delirium
• Ambulance Handover Protocol (IMIST-AMBO)

A training course for Clinical Microsystems for EDs in Ireland was rolled out in 2013 & 2014. This use of this system improves efficiency, enhances team performance and improves quality of care. The recruitment of a Clinical Microsystems Facilitator in 2016 is facilitating the re-invigoration of this work in EDs.

The work of the Emergency Medicine Programme is ongoing and the list of outputs is growing constantly. For latest updates and a repository of clinical guidelines, please visit www.emnow.ie.

Emergency Medicine Programme - Newsletter - 2024 (PDF, size 1.3 MB, 10 pages)