Published
Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) meets the needs of patients who require evaluation, testing, treatment, and medical management for up to 24 hours. While in the CDU, physicians evaluate whether a patient can safely return home or whether the patient's condition requires admission to an inpatient unit to continue his/her care
Our CDU also takes any 24 hour observation patient, but I think it should probably be called something other than a CDU as the label doesn't match what we do.
If going for an interview I would ask how long they avg on time to patient discharge; whether the nurses are supported in keeping inappropriate patients from being admitted there (on our unit some patients stay 3 days or more!!!) or have support in getting them placed in more appropriate care units that are staffed to give bed baths, etc.; how patients get to the unit (only ER, or also direct admit or other ways?); and if the charting system is more like inpatient or outpatient charting...
you can make a lot of assumptions based on what most people say a CDU is... but being a new type of unit... they are not all the same... shadow in the unit on a day or night shift if you can.
crrn03
23 Posts
Hey can anyone tell me what a CLINICAL DECISION UNIT is?
I have worked in a fairly small hospital and it is new to me.
I have seen job postings for a CDU registered nurse..
Hope someone knows, thanks
CRRN