Team Application of ABCDE Protocol Optimizes Pediatric Emergency Care in Study

Team application of the A, B, C, D, E protocol—evaluating airway, breathing, circulation, dehydration, and exposure to trauma—optimizes pediatric emergency care, according to a qualitative study examining how emergency nurses interact with clinical instruments. The research was conducted by Nicholas Danzima Yakubu, Bashira Mohammed, and Alhassan Sulemana. Published in Frontiers in Pediatrics, the study explores how nurses experience and make meaning of clinical tool use during emergency care.

The investigators emphasized that appropriate and adequate use of clinical tools remains vital for securing positive outcomes among young patients experiencing acute medical crises. According to the authors, effective utilization is achieved when clinical instruments are understood through their philosophical mode of Being and spatial value to Dasein, rather than being viewed solely through their mechanical characteristics and physical properties. Despite the central importance of these instruments in clinical settings, the research team noted that limited empirical attention has been given to how nurses encounter tools, interpret their roles, and navigate their lived experiences in pediatric emergency environments.

To address this empirical gap, the researchers structured their study to explore and interpret how practicing nurses experience and attribute meaning to the mode-of-Being and function of clinical tools within everyday clinical practice. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological design specifically centered on pediatric emergency nurses operating in a hospital emergency ward setting. Qualitative data were collected through interviews.

The qualitative data were analyzed using Diekelman, Allan, and Tanner's method.

The investigation uncovered four primary thematic findings regarding clinical practice and tool engagement. Beyond confirming that team-based execution of the airway, breathing, circulation, dehydration, and exposure assessment protocol optimizes patient care, the analysis revealed that nurses experience their clinical work fashion as an integrated ecosystem. However, the study also documented that daily tool use and patient management are actively hindered by human, institutional, and financial constraints. The findings also identified three team-pillar approaches to professional development.

The authors reported that these findings carry immediate practical implications for improving healthcare delivery to children undergoing emergency medical treatment. By enhancing nurses’ experiential and theoretical understanding of their clinical tools, hospital teams can achieve more effective and efficient tool use during urgent interventions.

The original research report was formally cataloged in the journal’s General Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Care section following peer review, having been submitted on 17 July 2026 and approved on 22 September 2026. Primary correspondence for the study was assigned to Nicholas Danzima Yakubu. The article lists the keywords Being-in-the-world, care, lived-experiences, Pediatric-emergencies, and Tool Use.

Published as open-access research distributed under Creative Commons attribution terms, the paper includes standard administrative and governance notices clarifying that all conclusions reflect solely the findings of Yakubu, Mohammed, and Sulemana rather than their institutional affiliates. Additionally, any product that may be evaluated in the article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Subject of Research: Pediatric emergency nurses' lived experiences and meaning-making of clinical tool use

Article Title: Exploring and interpreting how nurses experience and attribute meaning during pediatric emergencies

Article References: Yakubu, N. D., Mohammed, B., & Sulemana, A. (2026). Exploring and interpreting how nurses experience and attribute meaning during pediatric emergencies. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 14, Article 1941226. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2026.1941226

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3389/fped.2026.1941226

Keywords: pediatric emergency care, clinical tool use, phenomenological research, Diekelman Allan Tanner method, ABCDE protocol, emergency nursing, hospital emergency ward, mode of Being, Dasein, Being-in-the-world, healthcare ecosystems, professional development, qualitative interviews, institutional constraints, pediatric patient outcomes, clinical practice