Just wanted to know how many hospitals are putting their inpatients in the hallways when the floors are full. This will be the new trend where I work. In MA there is a "no diversion" rule. Patients routinely line the hallway in the ER but now the hospital is planning to "admit" patients to hallway areas when rooms are full. Questions raised: What bathroom do they use, how are they billed, how will it affect the ever so wonderful "Press Gainey" scores, would you want to be in a hallway getting your care, does your family want to see you there, what about all the obstacles in the way, ie linen carts, dirty linen, patients trying to ambulate, walking past you with any host of different diseases???? Any thoughts out there? Management of course feels it will all work out fine, will the "VIPs" be put in the hallway?
God, don't let our CEO see this post! he will think its an option!
our hospital used to do that long ago....put up a tention rod with a curtain (like a shower rod) in the back hallway, and give the patients tap bells...
Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU, s/p Open Heart surgery.
In the past month our ER has been extra busy and from time to time they will have us take a hallway bed. I had my first hallway bed patient about 2 weeks ago. she was an admission around 2300 and we had her at the end of the unit with a screen for privacy. the biggest obstacle i found was where to send her to the restroom. she was on the end of the hall where we have 4 private rooms, all male, so i couldn't borrow one of those for her. part of my unit had 8 ICU beds and one of those patients was downgraded and came to my side, so i ended up taking her there.
funny thing is, the patient was so happy to be off an ER stretcher and into a real hospital bed that she didn't mind being in the hallway. her son was a little bothered by it, but understood that the hospital was in "overflow" mode and we had no telemetry beds.
if i were admitted into a hallway bed i would sign out AMA. lol
I think that it degrades a person’s dignity more than anything else. If you lived in a high-rise for example, would you want to rent a hallway and sleep there? “Maybe” some would say yes if it was for free or if the rent will be lowered-----but that’s just because of economic reasons-----and it will not change the fact that it’s uncomfortable and embarrassing. Last time I saw patients staying in a hallway was when I was a student nurse in a third world country-----but still, it's not right in my opinion.
Just wanted to know how many hospitals are putting their inpatients in the hallways when the floors are full. This will be the new trend where I work. In MA there is a "no diversion" rule. Patients routinely line the hallway in the ER but now the hospital is planning to "admit" patients to hallway areas when rooms are full. Questions raised: What bathroom do they use, how are they billed, how will it affect the ever so wonderful "Press Gainey" scores, would you want to be in a hallway getting your care, does your family want to see you there, what about all the obstacles in the way, ie linen carts, dirty linen, patients trying to ambulate, walking past you with any host of different diseases???? Any thoughts out there? Management of course feels it will all work out fine, will the "VIPs" be put in the hallway?
I do kind of agree with Flying Scott Leslie, the situations we are talking about here is when hospital capacity is no longer able to cope, I know in the UK that the ER's don't have curtains in the corridors so why is it any safer or more private nursing a patient in the corridor in the ER than it is on the ward / floor. It's poor practice no matter where it happens but at least on the ward / floor there may only be one patient not in a bed where as in the ER there would be more in the corridor
Specializes in L&D, OR, ICU, Management, QA-UR, HHC.
Many, many years ago, (many, many) I was admitted to the hallway of my small town community hospital after I was shot in the eye with a BB gun. This was long before "The Christmas Story". Anyway, since both eyes were bandaged and I didn't know what was going on, it was scary. They told me that I had screens around me and my Dad sat with me all night and fed me ice chips. The worst part was having to use a bedpan, I was 15 at the time and had never even heard of a bedpan before that. Even worst was having my period start in the middle of the night and having strangers (!) put a peripad on me. All this while being out in the hallway. I was mortified but I must say the nurses were very nice and kept telling me over and over that no one could see me and they took special care of me. One of the many reasons I later became a nurse. I later worked in that hospital for awhile and some of the staff remembered me being a "hallwayer" and my awful night.
I am stunned that any administration would consider this. It is wrong on so many levels: HIPPA, fire safety, pt privacy and dignity etc,etc,etc. I would hope your adminstration will look at this more thoroughly before implementing. I truely thought this practice went away decades ago!
Maybe the Administrators' offices could be converted to a new ward and the A's can have their desks in the hall. :):redbeathe
i live in ma, and wasn't aware of the "no divert" rule.
as a matter of fact, i (very recently) heard about a boston hospital diverting its pts to a bigger, boston hospital.
would still love to know about how pts are cleaned, changed, toileted, etc...
leslie
I guess the old multi bed wards had this same problem but we somehow managed. I don't remember there being any curtains in the wards but there must have been screens of some sort. I just remember long rows of beds and a central nurses' station. Don't recall about patient restrooms. Must have been some, right? The wards were single gender.
As a general response I fail to see why it's OK for it to happen in the ER but not on the floor.
:)
:redbeathe
CathyLew
463 Posts
God, don't let our CEO see this post! he will think its an option!
our hospital used to do that long ago....put up a tention rod with a curtain (like a shower rod) in the back hallway, and give the patients tap bells...