[Back2School@40]

If you could change one thing about the ER that you work in to make it a better place, what would it be?

[NY37]

We have no ambulance triage so that would be good....an ekg tech at night would be nice...and a few more nurses on per night wouldnt hurt either...

[Marie_LPN, RN]

The arrogance that seems to have posessed a few. it's repels new grads like crazy.

A floating nurse that's not the charge nurse, to help out others. Half the time the charge nurse IS the float nurse, only because of working short.

Our trama rooms. It's not a straight shot from the ambulance dock to the rooms, you turn to the right, go a few feet, turn to the left, go a few feet, then go right again. Submitted a better suggestion to the planning committee about that.

Actually HAVING casting supplies, instead of discovering the cast and brace cart is naked. Supply Dept. is supposed to restock it 3 times a day, but apparently it's not done.

The TVs in the rooms. None of the nurses are used to them, and needless to say, since they are suspended from the ceiling, more than one staff member has crashed into them.

The Pyxis is in a corner, and not centrally located.

A housekeeper that wasn't slower than molassas in January, with a "yeah yeah yeah, whatever" response when you ask her "would you please get the puke bag out of room 6".

Restrictions on how many people can go back with the pt., unless the pt. is dying. Restaurant parties have less people than the ER rooms have anymore.

A door that goes directly through to the OR, instead of down a long round-about hallway first. (another submission to planning as well)

[grammyr]

Build a new one!!!

[TazziRN]

The ability to turf non-urgent problems (UTI's, colds, etc) to the urgent care clinic next door.

[Pedi-ER-RN]

It would be nice to be able to send all the stupid stuff to their PCP'S office, but alot don't have one or their PCP doesn't have any appointment. We only have one urgent care clinic in town. Someone should look into starting up another one.

[TazziRN]

Actually, in our town most people do have a PCP, but a lot of them show up in the ER with a cold because they couldn't get an appt that day. OR.....(this is good)......someone will either call for an appt or try to be a walk-in and will be told by the clinic's front desk that they will not be able to be seen that day so "Why don't you go to the emergency room?" I kid you not!!! We've gone round and round with the clinic staff about that (the hospital owns the clinic) and there are still repeat offenders of this.

[jojotoo]

Not having to fight with the floors to get them to take admissions.

Not having to hold admissions in the ER for a couple of days.

Not being told by management to "suck it up" - "you're not getting any more staff/ supplies/ resources/ etc."

A Pyxis.

Having the cafeteria open for night shift.

[TazziRN]

Originally Posted by jojotoo

Not having to fight with the floors to get them to take admissions.

Not having to hold admissions in the ER for a couple of days.

Not being told by management to "suck it up" - "you're not getting any more staff/ supplies/ resources/ etc."

A Pyxis.

Having the cafeteria open for night shift.

??? You don't have a Pyxis?!?!?!?

[ZASHAGALKA]

Medicaid co-pays - at least as high as MY ER co-pays.

Doctors that truly subscribed to the concept of 'stabilizing treatment' and turfed all non-emergencies to the PCP.

~faith,
Timothy.