Trensfering patients to floor

[UKPedsRN]

Hi all,

Nurse in the UK here, would like as much feedback as possible.

Who transfers the patient from PACU to ward in your hospital?

How long does the process take?

What delays the process?

Do you think there is a better way to do this?

I ask after spending the day on a ward here in the UK, where two RN's and two HCA's were caring for 28 patients. One RN is called down to PACU to transfer the patient back to the ward with a hospital porter. When I got to the PACU three RN's with three patients, and five gathered around a computer talking. Also had to wait for 5 minutes for the porter to arrive to help transport the patient.

Recalled my time in the US, when the PACU nurse and the Transporter transfered all the patients to the floor, this was in each of the hospitals I worked in over there. I am thinking along the lines of time management and effective use of staff, so any input would be gratefully received. Also if you are aware of any research articles, if you could point me in the right direction, so that I can review, before I try to address this issue, I would be grateful/

Thanx

[canucknurse66]

Hi, I work in Canada in a PACU. At our hospital we have dedicated nurse's aids who transport stable patients from PACU to the wards. They work from 1000-2100. After 2100, we have a hospital patient porter who can transport to the wards for us. PACU RN's only accompany a porter when transporting to ICU or Step down units.

[nellie_nurse812]

In the USA the ASPAN standards state "the professional nurse determines the mode, number, and competency level of accompanying personnel based on patient needs."

[All4Seasons]

Here, our patient attendants take stable pts back to the floor.They are trained in CPR. A porter,who usually doesn't have CPR training,can transfer with the attendant,but never alone - unless it's a day surgery pt.

An RN must accompany any pt bound for IMCU or ICU. As well,there are always exceptions and the bedside RN has final say on who's to accompany the pt.

The only time a receiving floor has to come for the pt is on the w/e when there are only 2 RNs in PACU and if we have other cases -based on our policy that there must always be two RNs in PACU. This never happens on weekdays.

[shrinky]

Our PACU RNs transfer all patients to the floors, sometimes 2 nurses if there is enough staff. I have never seen a floor nurse go to get a patient. May I ask here, do you ever have to hold patients in PACU if no beds are available or do you cancel elective surgeries when the house is full?

[Southern Fried RN]

My PACU requires an RN transport on any ICU or unstable patient---which I guess is redundant because anyone unstable has no business on a floor! We have nurse assistants who transport all the other medical or short stay patients. Patients from tele floors are the only problem. They are supposed to go back to their room on the cardiac monitor, but not all the assistants are trained to read monitors. So the nurse has to take that patient back.

I can't imagine working in a PACU where the nurse actually has time to take all the patients back!

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

RNs only accompany transferring patients to the ICU, Stepdown, if they are a cardiac monitor on the floor, or on a Patient Controlled Analgesic pump. Otherwise, they go with a regular transporter who is CPR-trained. We have 60-70 cases a day--it works very well.

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

Oops forgot to add, Pediatric patients under the age of 12--an RN must accompany.