Nokea
A recent nursing graduate in a busy Emergency Department triages a patient who has sustained a large, deep puncture wound in his foot while working at a construction site. He is bleeding and is in pain. The nurse enters the triage data that she has obtained from the patient into a computerized, standard emergency patient-classification system. After she enters the assessment data, she notices an alert on the computer screen that prompts her to ask the patient about the status of his tetanus immunization. What system of technology is involved in generating the alert?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The alert prompting the nurse to check the patient's tetanus status comes from a clinical decision support (CDS) system. CDS integrates patient data like the puncture wound details with evidence-based guidelines, flagging risks such as tetanus exposure from a dirty wound. This real-time guidance enhances decision-making, especially critical in a busy ED where a new graduate might overlook such details. Wireless technology supports connectivity, not decision prompts. Computerized provider order systems focus on ordering, not alerts. Electronic health records store data but don't inherently generate clinical prompts without CDS integration. Here, CDS actively supports the nurse by identifying a key intervention, improving patient safety.