[cactusj]

Yes, you are right. It's the COMPLETE admission assessment. We are a 6 bed ED--rural, where 1 RN and if she's lucky, 1 LPN--no tech, no admission clerk, no triage nurse plus all 6P tp 7A calls are routed to Er for transfer to patient rooms or the appropriate person--not to mention, it's like any other ED with lots of non-urgents who demand instant attention plus oue share of urgent to emergent. Gets very mindbogging. You comments are so greatly appreciated. Now on the other hand the med-surg unit runs a census of 2 to 14--(we have NO specialities-peds,OB, Ortho, CCU etc--these all have to be transferred) and run 1 RN, 1 LPN and 1 CNA--are often sitting at desk wrapped in a sheet! We are all paper no computer forms!!

[TraumaNurseRN]

I can't begin to imagine what a Mass Exodus an ER would have if they instituted admission assessments as a requirement for ER nurses. From the time I walk into our 65 bed Level II trauma center I am working my butt off, many times without a break or lunch. I personally feel a floor nurse should be required to admit as they currently do in my hospital and many big hospitals.

If I have a MI, Stroke or any high level admission I do not have time to stand there and ask that lengthy history. I am concerned of the primary complaint...not that they had hemorrhoid surgery 3 years ago. (As an example).

[ernrs2b]

they just started this in the ER that Im working in and most nurses will do everything for the admission except the assessment, because the floor nurse should do their own assessment

[Anagray]

We are required to do head to toe on ALL patrients, even those with stupid reasons to visit ER, such as - " I ran out of Lortab " or " My arm hurts for no reason x 3 months".
Social assessment is a must, even a brief one, because we need to know if the patient is safe for discharge and has adequate supports at home.
It is impossible to do everything all the time, so I admit, I skip on some parts of assessment, when I have too many critical patients.

[mmutk]

Vanderbilt ER makes you do one, if you hold them for greater than 8 hours.. They even make you switch to a different charting system.

[TraumaNurseRN]

Originally Posted by Anagray

We are required to do head to toe on ALL patrients, even those with stupid reasons to visit ER, such as - " I ran out of Lortab " or " My arm hurts for no reason x 3 months".
Social assessment is a must, even a brief one, because we need to know if the patient is safe for discharge and has adequate supports at home.
It is impossible to do everything all the time, so I admit, I skip on some parts of assessment, when I have too many critical patients.

We are speaking of admissions here, not the stupid crap that always comes our way.......there's a difference. Social assessment is NOT a must....even a brief one......you come in for a neck strain...I do not need to know if you smoke or drink.....if you have a living will or DPA...or a full code.....that's ridiculous......I don'tcare when you last tetanus was unless I have a wound injury.....especially since you come in weekly for narcs.....But...an ESI of 4-5 still requires this crap....These people need a life....away from sick, life threatening EMERGENCIES!!!! iF YOU ARE ADMITTED.....I STILL DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR (HX)....I CARE ABOUT GETTING YOU SAFELY TO A ROOM TUCKED IN COMFY WITH NURSES ADVANCED IN YOUR CARE.....(btw: never had admits waiting 8 hours in my ER once admitted...omg...that's just poor planned managment there) Floor nurses have a job....just as ER nurses do.....They need to do theirs....I will do mine......PS: I would never take some other nurses assessment and go from there.......would always do my own. You learn that in the ED.....They say to the triage nurse they have chest pain..........turns out LLQ pain by the time you undress them and do their assessment,.......it was their way of getting back sooner than most. PS: 8 hours in the ER....WOW.....bad hospital in my opinion. I work in an 800 bed, 65 bed ED.....not waits past 2 hours at the most for a bed....except for the psych with no bed available/refusal...pink slipped