Presented by: Kathleen S. Jordan, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, ENP-C, SANE-P, FAEN, FAANP

Emergency department visits for behavioral health problems in children and adolescents continues to escalate, with a dramatic increase over the past decade. The ED has been classified as a safety net for this patient population, however this places a huge burden on ED processes and throughput. This situation is complicated by limitations in the ED that effect the timely and comprehensive patient evaluation, and the shortage of available inpatient beds and outpatient services for those children and adolescents who need mental health care.

It is imperative that emergency care providers have the knowledge and skill set to provide high quality, safe and effective care for this ED population. The focus of this presentation is to provide evidence-based information for clinical decision-making through a discussion of trauma informed strategies to conduct a patient centered interview, including essential collateral information and ancillary studies. Discussion will also include differentiating a medical versus psychiatric emergency in children and adolescents. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the most common pediatric behavioral health problems encountered in the ED.

Credit Designations:
• Nurses: AAENP (ABNP #1571) designates this activity for 1.0 CE hours