New Observation Unit ... Any Ideas????

At the hospital I work at we are starting up a new Rapid Evaluation Unit attached to the ER. This is going to be a 23 hour observation unit to decrease the number of admissions for Dx such as r/o MI's. We will be opening next week and there are still alot of bugs to be worked out. Any ideas or info on if this has been done anywhere else would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[askater]

Hi Cathy!

We have a 23 hold at our hospital. They call it a progressive care unit. I've never worked there. I wish I'd have some ideas for ya. Sorry. Good luck!

Angela

[CathyD]

Angela,

Where is it that you work maybe I could get some info directly from them.

Thanks for the luck and back at you.

[Oldtimer]

We have a unit just like this. It was started because of seasonal census overload and critical bed shortgage for the Progressive Care and ICU beds during the winter. In theory, R/O MI's stay there until 2 serial Troponins/CK-CKMB and EKG's are completed. This is supposed to triage the patients need for level of care and monitoring. In reality it has been used for a holding room only. Many times there is no re-evaluation and the original ICU admit order stays. Many of the nurses in this area never ask Physicians to downgrade the patient and the Attending MD does not address it either. What it has accomplished, is to free up ER beds when ICU/PCU is full.

[CathyD]

Thanks for your input unfortunately this is one thing we are hoping to avoid, although we also realize that this is exactly what could end up happening. Thanks again