Publication Date
Spring 2015
Degree Type
Doctoral Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Danette Dutra, Chair
Second Advisor
Debbie Steele
Third Advisor
Marilyn Green
Keywords
Emergency Nurse, Adults with Autism
Abstract
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. The nurse (RN) in the emergency department (ED) plays an important role in the receiving, treatment, and management of the patient with autism. RNs must understand the unique challenges of caring for individuals with autism. Fortunately, autism is an active area of research, with copious resources available to assist those affected by this disorder; however, no studies were found evaluating nurses’ knowledge of autism and the number of resources for nurses caring for this population was limited. Nursing is an information-intensive profession and the information obtained from this survey of knowledge and beliefs was valuable in identifying the ED nurse’s educational needs and providing support for the provision of accurate information to health care professionals. This survey found a slight majority of ED nurses having accurate knowledge, correctly identifying causes and comorbidities, and choosing appropriate interventions. This survey confirmed the limited knowledge and resources available for ED RNs. Further research on nursing care of adults with ASD is clearly warranted.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Shauna Marie, "Nurses Caring for Adults with Autism in an Emergency Department: A Survey of Knowledge" (2015). Doctoral Projects. 7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.tenz-w3vk
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_doctoral/7
