Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Background: The Emergency Department (ED) is a healthcare unit that requires rapid and accurate management of critical patients. Early Warning Score (EWS) is an early detection system based on physiological parameters used to identify changes in patient conditions quickly and objectively. Objective: To identify and analyze scientific articles that describe the role of Early Warning Score (EWS) in supporting nurses’ responsiveness to critical patients in the Emergency Department. Methods: This study is a literature review using PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases (2016–2026). From 2,110 articles screened using PICOS criteria and the PRISMA flow, 10 articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool. Results: The review shows that the implementation of Early Warning Score (EWS) significantly improves nurses’ responsiveness (p < 0.05), particularly in response time, clinical decision-making accuracy, as well as escalation and team collaboration, although it is influenced by factors such as knowledge, experience, and workload. Conclusion: Early Warning Score (EWS) is an effective tool in enhancing nurses’ responsiveness to critical patients in the Emergency Department. However, its successful implementation depends on human resources, training, and support from healthcare systems and management.
Keywords: Early Warning Score (EWS), nurse responsiveness, critical patients, Emergency Department
