What is the difference between Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 hospitals?

[suzanne4, RN]

Level 3 are considered the tertiary hospitals. They are usually the trauma hospital in your area and the one that can provide all services. Differences will vary between states as to requirements needed, but most Level I Trauma Centers are tertiary hospitals but not always. They use an opposite numbering system for trauma levels. A Level 2 hospital could have a NICU but only for stable babies, others would be sent to the tertiary hospital for the region. They may have a 24 hour open emergency dept but not have an in-house trauma surgeon, neuro-surgeon and anesthesiologist only for the traumas. Your big medical centers are usually the receiving hospital for problem patients from other hospitals. They have the most advanced equipment and usually a full complement of staff in all areas.

Hope that this helps. Just remember that a trauma facility uses opposite numbering. Level I trauma is the sickest, level I hospital is a small community hospital where many services may not be available.

[orrnlori, RN]

You know I don't know the actual specific definitions of either II or III but I work at a level I. We have all services and surgical specialties available 24 hours a day and there's specific differences in the types of trauma and emergencies as they are called within the hospital with different teams carrying different pagers. We have two choppers and we cover the entire central and eastern part of the state and we get the very worst of the very worst patients. So at least I can define level I. I also think that most level I's are teaching hospitals, but I may be wrong.

[suzanne4, RN]

ORRNLORI:

You are just talking of Trauma facilities, they are a Level One if they take the most critical, HOWEVER, with hospital ranking, it is the other way, Level One would be the smallest and provide the least amount of services. Level Two can have many services but not all, and the Level Three or the tertiary center is the one that accepts the problem patients from all over. Most Level One trauma centers are actually also called tertiary centers, meaning Level Three. There is just an opposite ranking that way.

I know that this always gets quite confusing for most people.

[orrnlori, RN]

Okay, yeah, I remember something about that from nursing school, oh well, got trauma on the brain I guess, since that's all I see. Never mind.

[SmilingBluEyes]

In terms of obstetrics, LEVEL ONE is the opposite of LEVEL 3 (for trauma)...

LEVEL 3 is the highest level of care in OB/NEWBORN nursing.......

in Trauma, the opposite is true, LEVEL ONE is the HIGHEST LEVEL , "HIGHEST" in both cases only meaning handing all the most complicated and massive trauma or obstetric/newborn cases there are.

Clear as mud?

I had to give an OB point of view, cause I was not sure where you are coming from w/your question.

[skippy1872]

Forgive me ignorance on this, but isn't a trauma center a hospital. So how can the scale be opposite?

[dreamon]

While we are asking questions, I hope I can jump in...what does PACU, MICU, SICU stand for?

*embarassed*

[rph3664]

dreamon said:

While we are asking questions, I hope I can jump in...what does PACU, MICU, SICU stand for?

*embarrassed*

PACU: Post anesthesia care unit (aka recovery room)

MICU: Medical intensive care unit

SICU: Surgical intensive care unit

[rph3664]

skippy1872 said:

Forgive me ignorance on this, but isn't a trauma center a hospital. So how can the scale be opposite?

A trauma center is going to be in a hospital, but a hospital is not necessarily a trauma center. A trauma patient may be transported at first to a small critical access hospital (Google the definition) to be stabilized, but then is transferred to a hospital where they can get a higher level of care.

[yourbeautiful1028, RN]

Hello guys, any idea about the classification of the functional level of patient like LEVEL I, II, III, IV... I keep on looking on the book regarding its description but I couldn't find it....thanks....more power

[TeachingeveryoneRN, RN]

Triaging a pt for the ED classifies patients, just as hospitals are classified for trauma. A Level 1 pt, is a trauma pt (high speed impact, head injury, burn victim w/3rd degree), Level 2 is a critical care such as an MI, pneumonia, COPD, CHF, exacerbation, Level 3 is acute care, and level 4 is sub acute care; migraine etc.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

But posters have covered explanations for neonatal intensive care units (levels 1, 2 & 3), trauma centers (where it's also 1, 2 & 3, but in the opposite order from NICUs), and an approximation of ESI triage designations which categorize patients as 1 - 5 based on the severity of their presenting symptoms.

Clear as mud, huh?