Mini Review

Initial assessment of the trauma patient: a nursing approach

Panagiota Katsaphourou

• University Orthopedics Clinic, General Hospital of Attica “KAT”, Athens, Greece

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Keywords: Trauma nurse, Trauma patient, Initial assessment and primary evaluation

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Abstract

This article presents a mini review of a nursing approach to the trauma patient. Trauma injury is one of the leading causes of death and is considered a modern era disease that poses an immense financial, social and even political burden, forcing the topic of death toll due to unsafe state infrastructures into the political agenda. Reviewing articles from various sources and databases written in English and in Greek, we look into the role of the trauma nurse, focusing on the steps that need to be followed during the initial assessment and the primary evaluation of the trauma patient in an attempt to point to the fact that knowledge of protocols, speed and close collaboration can be factors that literally make a difference between life and death on the trauma patient’s life.

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