The National Emergency Nurses Affiliation ( NENA) Inc., the professional association dedicated to quality Emergency Care was founded in 1982. The seed for a Canada- wide emergency nursing group was planted in Vancouver 1980 during a CAEP ( Canadian Association of Emergency Physician) conference due to the efforts of Pat MacGuire ( ENGBC) and Sandra Easton (ENAO ). In Toronto, 1981 NENA received its name and in Regina, 1982 the first executive were elected. The goals for the association were to establish educational programs for emergency nurses, to promote emergency nursing as a specialty in the nursing profession, to develop standards in the practice of emergency nursing and to promote and interpret the role of the emergency nurse to other health care groups and to the community.These dedicated nurses wrote the first edition of Standards of Emergency Nursing Practice and the Canadian Nurses Association recognized NENA as the professional association for Emergency Nurses and designated it as a specialty in 1991. There are nine provincial emergency nursing groups that comprise NENA. These groups are from west to east:
Emergency Nursing Group British Columbia (ENGBC)
Emergency Nursing Interest Group of Alberta (ENIG)
Saskatchewan Emergency Nursing Group (SENG)
Emergency Department Nurses Association of Manitoba (EDNA)
Emergency Nurses Association of Ontario (ENAO)
New Brunswick Emergency Nurses Association ( NBENA)
Nova Scotia Emergency Nurses Association (NSENA)
Prince Edward Island Emergency Nurses Association (PEIENA)
Newfoundland and Labrador Emergency Nurses Association (NLENA)
Emergency Nursing as a Specialty
Emergency Nursing has been a specialty, as defined by the Canadian Nurses Association, since 1991. Emergency Nursing Practice involves the integration of professionalism, practice, education and research and is the foundation of our standards. Emergency Nursing is diverse, encompassing all specialties of nursing. The Emergency Nurse provides services to patients of all ages. This includes nursing assessment, intervention and management of perceived, actual/potential. sudden /urgent, and physical/psychological/social problems that present as episodic and /or acute. Characteristics of Emergency Nursing include:
Triage and Prioritization
Stabilization and Resuscitation
Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment of patient situations where limited data is available
Provisions of care in uncontrolled and /or unpredictable situations
Crisis interventions to meet the needs of unique patient situations
Disaster Planning/Implementation
Education of the patient and community to facilitate attainment of an optimal level of wellness
Wellness initiatives directed to patient and community, particularly related to disease and injury prevention
Emergency Nursing occurs in a variety of settings, existing whenever an Emergency Nurse interacts with a patient. Implicit in this interaction is the care provided to the patient, significant others, the community (ies) served and the future potential patient within this community.
Emergency Nursing is practiced in a unique environment which includes unplanned situations requiring intervention, the allocation of limited resources, and the need for emergent care as perceived by many patients arriving in an unscheduled manner, potentially creating a stressful, chaotic environment. The services provided by the Emergency Nurse must be directed and structured to maximize the available time, space and resources within the nurse functions.
Emergency Nursing interacts with professional groups within the domain of nursing and with a variety of formal and informal agencies involved in the provision of health care. Through such networks, the Emergency Nurse communicates and share resources for the common purpose of improving health care delivery to the patient and the community.
The specialized body of knowledge and skills inherent in Emergency Nursing Practice provides a unique opportunity for the Emergency Nurse to serve as a focal point at the intersections of primary, secondary and tertiary care on the disease-wellness continuum. This collaborative enables the Emergency Nurse to affect the process and outcomes of concerns such as bioethical issues, humanism, biopyschosocial and spiritual needs of clients, alternative care modalities, etc. in the nurse’s role as patient/client advocate.
GROUP National Emergency Nurses’ Affiliation Inc. (NENA) HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVEThe National Emergency Nurses’ Affiliation Inc. was formed in 1981.GENERAL STRUCTUREThere are nine active provincial groups along with independent members from Quebec.The NENA Board of Directors meets twice a year, in the spring and fall. The spring Board of Directors meeting is held in conjunction with the AGM and an educational conference. Odd years are in conjunction with the national conference and even years with a regional conference.OBJECTIVESThe Mission of NENA is: “To represent the Canadian Emergency Nursing Specialty”The Values of NENA are: • All individuals have the right to quality health care• Essential components of Emergency Nursing practice are wellness, promotion and injury prevention• Continuing education and professional development are fundamental to Emergency practice• Research guides Emergency Nursing practiceThe Goals of NENA are: • Strengthen the communication network• Provide direction for clinical practice of Emergency Nurses• Promote research based practice• Support and disseminate education