Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2024
Publication Title
Journal of Emergency Nursing
Keywords
Acute coronary syndrome, Chest pain, Signs and symptoms, Emergency nursing, Myocardial infarction, Sex
Abstract
Introduction
Emergency nurses must quickly identify patients with potential acute coronary syndrome. However, no recent nationwide research has explored nurses’ knowledge of acute coronary syndrome symptoms. The purpose of this study was to explore emergency nurses’ recognition of acute coronary syndrome symptoms, including whether nurses attribute different symptoms to women and men.Methods
We used a cross-sectional, descriptive design using an online survey. Emergency nurses from across the United States were recruited using postcards and a posting on the Emergency Nurses Association website. Demographic data and participants’ recognition of acute coronary syndrome symptoms, using the Acute Coronary Syndrome Symptom Checklist, were collected. Descriptive statistics and ordinal regression were used to analyze the data.Results
The final sample included 448 emergency nurses with a median 7.0 years of emergency nursing experience. Participants were overwhelmingly able to recognize common acute coronary syndrome symptoms, although some symptoms were more often associated with women or with men. Most participants believed that women and men’s symptoms were either “slightly different” (41.1%) or “fairly different” (42.6%). Nurses who completed training for the triage role were significantly less likely to believe that men and women have substantially different symptoms (odds ratio 0.47; 95% CI 0.25-0.87).Discussion
Emergency nurses were able to recognize common acute coronary syndrome symptoms, but some reported believing that the symptom experience of men and women is more divergent than what is reported in the literature.DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2023.11.005
Recommended Citation
Blakeman, John R.; Zègre-Hemsey, Jessica K.; Mirzaei, Sahereh; Kim, MyoungJin; Eckhardt, Ann L.; and DeVon, Holli A., "Emergency Nurses’ Recognition of and Perception of Sex Differences in Acute Coronary Syndrome Symptoms" (2024). Faculty Publications - Mennonite College of Nursing. 32.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/fpnrs/32
Comments
This is the accepted manuscript of an article first published in Journal of Emergency Nursing 50, no. 2 (March 2024): P254-263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2023.11.005.