Communicating with other departments

[terrimtz1]

There is currently a huge issue at the hospital I work in between the ER and radiology departments. Radiology techs (and their director) seem to believe it is OK to take patients off monitors, take them for a diagnostic study, and bring them back to their cube, without telling the nurse. When it comes to unmonitored patients that may be in a lot of pain, like fractures, ovarian cysts, etc. they take them also without any communication with the nurses, and by the time they come back, they are usually in tears because their pain went up, and their families are screaming at the nurses for pain meds.

Their director and our director are doing nothing except butting heads. And about the only compromise has been that the techs will tell the ER clerk when the patients come and go.

This is driving me crazy. I truly feel we are playing Russian roulette with our patients safety and comfort. I am trying my best to remain as professional as possible when talking with them about it, but I feel I am getting no where.

It's just awful! Any suggestions?

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

Are you speaking of cardiac monitors? Then yes radiology tech need to inform the RN taking care of the pt so that the pt can be medicated prior to studies being done. Radiology tech, transporters, etc have no business taking a pt off a monitor to take a pt to testing without informing the RN in charge of the pt. BIG pt safety issue.

[lpnflorida]

Standardized hall passes were enacted at our facility. They are filled out by the nurse of the patient. You can write in alerts such as when last pain med given, whether patient is independent in transfer or needs help, checks boxes for things such as isolation, fall risk, etc. It has been useful.

Every time our patient's leave the unit a hall pass is filled out, it is good for 24 hours, there are 4 areas at the bottom of the page in which each nurse signs gives their available phone number, then the transporter signs when they return the patient..

It has been helpful in communicating to Xray and other departments the patient goes to.