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?

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Hi,

When I worked as an ER Nurse the radio was at the charge nurses' desk, so they were primarily responsible for answering it; however if they were busy any RN could answer. I think the only rule was it was preferred that an RN answer the radio or MD.

Coming from an EMS perspective I see most hospitals have it out in the open and the charge nurse tries to answer, but if not another nurse, or in some cases an MD, it all depends. For the most part though it seems it is a charge RN role.

I work in the northeast and entry notes into Boston Hospitals are not made if it is a BLS patient. N.E. CMED, which is our radio link to various hospitals has also recently decided that they will not make BLS entry notes into hospitals, so it is now optional for hospitals covered in that area for BLS calls. We can surprise them, although we try and call ahead.

Annie

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

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.

WOW, how do you do this?? How many beds do you have???

Annie

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

WOW, how do you do this?? How many beds do you have???

Annie

I think 22

We have the charge take those calls at the spot I'm at now. If they can't or multiple calls coming whoever is closest will help. Last hospital I was at it was whoever was by the radio.

[tech1000]

If it's an adult patient, we have a monitor tech who is watching all ED monitors and also takes the EMS calls. On our children's side, any nurse or paramedic takes it. Techs aren't allowed to take the calls unless they're also a monitor tech.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Small rural hospital. Four beds in the ER proper; one in the Triage room.

The radio is in the ER next to the desk where the doc sits. The (only) ER MICN nurse answers the radio and gives orders; the doc can as well if he/she wishes.

Other staff are medics or EMT's.

Basically, the patients go from waiting room to Triage Room - only one at a time. Then they move on to the gurneys (beds).

It does get busy enough that sometimes patients are in the hall on gurneys.

[bear14]

We have to have a special certification to answer EMS calls.

[Christy1019, ASN, RN]

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.

If that's an assigned role, what does the charge nurse do? As the shift lead/charge RN in my ED, those are all of the things that I'm responsible for.

[Christy1019, ASN, RN]

Anyone that is ACLS can answer ours, just depends on who gets to it first. We use EPIC and can put a hold on open rooms and tag them with the EMS unit number that they can see on a screen when they walk in the door. As the charge RN, I typically assign the beds, but if I'm not available my nurses can do it.

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I work for a 68 bed Level I Trauma ED. We have a communications nurse that answers all EMS reports, and takes all transfer calls. She/he is in charge of placing every patient into rooms, EMS, triage and transfers.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

46 beds in the main ER, 110k visits per year. Any RN, PA, or Physician who takes "the class" can take EMS consults. Usually the RNs staffed closest to the "ems box" takes the calls, but since the doc sits closest to the "box" which is in one section of the main ER, the doc may take the consult if all the RNs are busy in rooms. We always ask if they need a physician for orders up front when taking the call. We fill out the consult form sign it and bring it out to triage. The consult can be heard in the pediatric ER, triage, and at one other place in the main ER.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

In the first ER that I worked in (38 beds), the EMS radio sat by the charge nurse and typically they would be responsible for answering it. If they were unavailable, then any available nurse or medic could also do so.

Second ER (32 beds), we didn't have a radio but a phone that EMS would call on. Again, any available nurse but it was usually the charge nurse.

Third ER (24 beds) = same thing. Except we have a radio. I personally prefer the radio because if you're in the general area, anyone can hear it go off and respond.

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

Whoever is available, usually the admin tech (EMT). The charge RN is right there so they usually work together.