GI lab phase 2 recovery room

[Chuckie]

What is the nurse patient ratio in the phase 2 recovery room. We have 6 to eight slots in the gi lab. And one Rn. The rn admits all in patients and recovers and discharges all out patient. This is somewhat dangerous and. I was wondering if all facilities use the 6 to1 ratio for phase 2 recovery.

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

I'd appreciate it if you could send me some more info regarding your GI setup; patient turnover, layout, facilities, drugs normally administered etc.

Ours functions under the management of the theater UM; the staff frequently has a list of 20-30 patients to contend with, and there is only one RN in the team. They don't have a separate recovery area, and the doctors give may give any of the following, alone or in combination: Midazolam, propofol, fentanyl, alfentanyl, occasionally remifentanyl, pethidine or Ketamine. Understandably, we are concerned about this, and I'd like to hear how your system works.

A standard gastroscopy takes about 10 minutes, gas/colons 20-30 minutes.

[Chuckie]

We are somewhat free standing. We are in a hospital but only admit and recover our patients GI lab and Bronchs. We have one person RN in the room with 6-8 beds this person answers phones admits discharges recovers and calls the floors for patients to come over from the hospital. They are all conscious sedation usually demeral/Versed, Fentanyl/Versed and nearly all of them get Benedryl for sedation. By 1000 am it is full and they are all fairly heavy sedated especially if they have had Benedryl.

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

Yes, ours is free standing in that it is physically separate from the theater. Our sister hospitals do their GI lists in the theater complex itself, so any post-procedure monitoring can be done in recovery room.

Way back when, GI lists were done only using valium, with a dash of pethidine for a colonoscopy. Now that heavier sedation is the norm, a properly designated recovery area is definitely called for, but how this is going to be addressed in our case, when none of the decision makers have any real clue of health care, and particularly the effects of sedation and anaesthesia, I have no idea. I'm afraid a safe environment for our patients is likely to remain indefinitely on our wish list.

In your situation, I would recommend an LPN to assist you, but I wish you luck in getting one assigned. Usually such situations are only addressed when something actually happens to a patient

[NVCW]

Where I work the pt to nurse ratio for phase II is 3:1, which is one reason I work at a military hospital, better staffing.