Sepsis in the prehospital environment: how nurses can improve patient outcome

Abstract Introduction: Sepsis is one of the most frequent causes of death globally. Treatment of sepsis is time-critical as time to adequate treatment is linked to outcome. Patients spend a significant amount of time with a prehospital emergency nurse (PEN). The study aimed to gain a deep understanding of PENs’ experiences when caring for those with suspected sepsis. Studying the time lapse may lead to improvement in care for septic patients in the future. Materials and Method: A qualitative research design with inductive content analysis has been used. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using Elo Kyngäs method of content analysis. Thirteen PENs in Sweden were interviewed. Findings: The main theme that emerged was “Early identification enabled through clinical experience as well as medical guidelines increases patient safety for those with sepsis”. Three generic categories underpinned the main category: “Multifaceted symptoms involve challenges when identifying the septic patient”; “Clinical experience increases early identification and provision of high-quality care”; and “Continuous education and explicit guidelines enable good care.” Conclusions: The emergency medical services need to be a knowledge-based organization providing opportunities for ongoing education, feedback and reflection for PENs. Establishing medical guidelines that take PENs’ experiences of into consideration should improve care for patients with suspected sepsis.