EMS Radio Reports

[TRC211]

Hi all,

Just curious as to who receives EMS radio reports at your facilities. At the hospital I work in, the triage nurse is responsible for communicating with the EMS units but I've heard of other hospitals assigning this to the charge nurse or even another nurse. What's the process like at your hospital?

[Kristenlaurenw]

I work in a small 14 bed ED (4 day nurses, 4 night nurses, and a mid shift nurse). The radio sits at the nurses station and is answered by whichever nurse is closest or hears it first!

[mindofmidwifery, ADN]

Medic or charge nurse if there isn't s medic around

[TRC211]

Interesting! I've heard of that as well but don't know how effective that would be for us (a 35 bed ED). Does the nurse taking report assign a room or does the charge or triage nurse?

[AZQuik]

We have a dedicated rn to answer. They will ll the take the call, room some pts, send out dept wide text of "report of sick person going to room x in 5" or "sick person to room y from triage now" or the always fun, "sick person to room xyz, via ems, now, CPR in progress."

They also take criticals from the lab, coordinate with bed control/house sup on admit bed assignments, and they are usually a great resource for questions and will always be in one spot.

Approx 65 bed lvl 1 trauma center/teaching hospital.

[ohiobobcat]

I worked in 2 small ERs, one was a 7 bed ER and one was a 12 bed ER. At both facilities, whoever was closest to the radio when it went off answered it. Both were small enough facilities that we often heard the report wherever we were in the department. We would send the EMS patient to an open room, or do what we could to clear a room for them if we determined that was necessary from the report.

[Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN]

17 bed ER, only 1 service still uses a radio to call in, whoever is closest answers (usually a nurse, but techs do to if no nurse around). All phone calls go to the charge, unless unavailable then to a nurse.

Bedding is determined when they get there usually, unless a critical pt then we try to clear one of the major rooms for them.

[Guest219794]

22 beds plus a dedicated psych unit- 35,000 ish pt's a year.

No triage- immediate bedding. (Don't get me started on this.)

Generally the charge nurse, but any nurse if the charge is busy. Sometimes a doc will answer.

[mindofmidwifery, ADN]

22 beds plus a dedicated psych unit- 35,000 ish pt's a year.

No triage- immediate bedding. (Don't get me started on this.)

I HATE direct bedding [emoji30] so glad our ED has a triage so it's not JUST direct bedding.

[Kristenlaurenw]

Usually the nurse taking report states "room assignment on arrival" unless we know they need a trauma room assignment. On arrival, usually the charge nurse assigns a room, but if unavailable, a staff nurse makes the determination.

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

50 bed er, 65k pts/yr. medic calls taken by doc, charge or whoever's close by listens in, bls sometimes calls in via trunk radio system, often they just show up. Charge (or "any nurse to the squad desk") sends squads to a room (inbound medics generally have the intended room written on the initial call sheet at the desk). Any squad room assignments are supposed to be communicated to triage so a room doesn't get double booked and the nurse doesn't get lit up.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Whoever is closest takes the call. Typically it's room assignment on arrival, unless the patient sounds really sick, then they're assigned to a resus room. Any staff nurse can make the assignment, since we don't have a charge.