Young patients who come to AdventHealth Southlands ER have a new option to help make their treatment a little easier. Nitrous oxide is now available, thanks to the hard work of two Southlands nurses.
Janet Caldwell, RN, and Billy Nolan, RN, both remember reading the same article in the Emergency Nurses Association magazine almost a year ago, which talked about the benefits of having nitrous oxide in the ED for pediatric patients.
“Nitrous oxide has been used for over 100 years in the dental field with no problems. It has very few side effects,” said Billy. “It’s not long lasting like most of the other narcotics used to sedate pediatric patients and is less labor intensive. With traditional anesthesia, doctors and nurses have to observe the patient for more than an hour after a procedure to make sure their vitals return to stable.”
“Nitrous oxide is fast,” said Janet. “Onset is one to two minutes, and unlike other anesthesia or medication, you turn it off, give the patient a few minutes of pure oxygen, and it is completely gone.”
Knowing that nitrous oxide wasn’t available at any of AdventHealth’s emergency rooms in the Rocky Mountain Region, Janet and Billy worked together on a proposal to bring it to Southlands.
Their goal was to have nitrous oxide as an option for children under the age of 18. It would be used for minor procedures like stitches, joint relocations, or cardioversion. The sedative not only can minimize physical discomfort and pain, but it can also control anxiety. 26% of patients at AdventHealth Southlands ER are under the age of 18, which was why Janet and Billy knew it could be a game changer.
“Nitrous oxide gives a sense of euphoria that will allow a procedure that was so scary before to be a little less scary for kids,” said Billy. “Something like stitches can be terrifying for children, which in turn, can make parents understandably emotional. This is a non-invasive way for us to help in these situations.”
Once Billy and Janet presented their research to leadership, they found incredible support for the program and were given the green light to move forward. Thanks to support from the AdventHealth Parker Foundation, Southlands ER was able to buy the nitrous oxide and all necessary equipment.
“Going to the emergency room can be hard enough for kids. The Foundation thought it was important to support the addition of this service because of its pain-reducing effects for our young patients and help ease what could be a very challenging experience,” said Harmony Furlong, Chief Development Officer. “This is a timely and important opportunity to elevate care that is aligned with our mission, allowing us to lead with compassion and expertise.”
Since receiving the equipment, Janet and Billy have been busy working with educators on creating guidelines, policies, and providing training. The program officially went live on November 18.
While the initial goal was to offer nitrous oxide to pediatric patients, the team at Southlands is already talking about offering it to adult patients as well.
“There’s no difference between using it for pediatric patients and adults. The dosing is the same, the recovery is the same,” said Janet.
Janet and Billy already have their sights on expanding the program further. If all goes well at Southlands, they hope the program can expand to all of AdventHealth’s ERs in the Rocky Mountain Region.
“I can’t believe it. I think there were many times in the beginning where I kept saying, this is never going to work. I love that I was wrong,” said Billy.
“It’s been fun to work on this and get so much support for a nurse-driven project,” said Janet. “It felt like all the doors were opened to us and it’s great to see leadership, providers, and other nurses excited about it. We’re so excited about what this means for our patients.”
