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 thought I'd seen and heard it all in nursing. Now I learn pts are being admitted to the hallway. Next they'll start hanging hammocks from the ceiling. Bunk beds. Slide out drawers like in the morgue. Trundle beds. Murphy beds. Roof top penthouse. Mobile bed (ambulance).................
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Other then like in the midst of ER overload from a large number of people being hurt I just can't imagine. This totally blows my mind.
I know our hospital has a Diversion policy, it was initiated a couple weeks ago when I was at clinicals and apparently it is very rare.
Anyway, it just seems so appauling to me to have patients admitted to a hall with absolutely no privacy :|
Unless like I said, their is some mass trauma where many people are injured.
Shoot I have never even seen someone have to share a room at our hospital. They used to, a lot of the rooms are set up as 2 person with even 2 flat screen TV's but only one bed in them.
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.
i was in the hospital for 6 months, in 1973.
there were 6 beds in the room...all divided by curtains (when/if needed).
This is seriously pathetic--to admit a patient to a hallway...most hospital hallways are barely large enough to fit a bed down when transporting, I can't imagine having to move a patient (in an emergent situation none the less) with an admitted patient laying right there. Where is the privacy, not only for the patient that was admitted to the hallway, but the doctors normally round in the hallway about the "non-hallway" patients because they are in semi-private rooms and they can't do it in the rooms because of HIPAA. Where will the hallway patients go to the bathroom? Where will their visitors sit? What about their IV poles? And where will their therapy take place? Even if it is a "short term solution" until a bed opens up--that could be 24 hours, or there could be a continuous flow of patients. Reading posts like this just confirms my decision to leave hospital nursing because I know that it's just going to get worse each and every day =(
This is something that is being discussed at our hospital however no one except management supports the idea. I hope it never actually happens, I really see no positives to this except the wait times for beds looks shorter.
I could understand it when a disaster hits a town...earthquake, etc. but as part of every day business? Horrendous. Every time a patient or family member complained I would tell them I would get them my supervisor. If they wanted to write and make a formal complaint I'd get them the info. The more patients and families that complain the better chances of it stopping. And hopefully one of the smarter patients or families will make a stink about the cost of being in the hall versus a room and get a reduced bill. You need to hit them in the pocket.
The same way we do it in the ER, Leslie. As a general response I fail to see why it's OK for it to happen in the ER but not on the floor.
Asbestos undies on!
:chair:
Because the ER is not meant for ongoing treatment...it's meant to treat urgent medical needs and move the patient on to the next step of medical care...out the door or on to a floor. Even patients view the ER as a "stopover."
In addition, the ER is primed for overcrowding due to its inputs: life-threatening emergencies, urgent care directed by a primary physician when other access points are not available (after-hours/weekends), and, unfortunately, as a primary access point for those who do not have insurance. It's the nature of the beast that everyone--healthcare workers and patients alike--understand. :)
Specializes in PACU, CARDIAC ICU, TRAUMA, SICU, LTC.
Blatant violation of HIPAA, IMO!! Thanks, but no thanks!! When my Dad had his gallbladder out many moons ago (before Lap Cholecystectomy), he was put in a "treatment room" because there was "no room in the inn." His basic needs were not met... It was a nightmare..he developed pneumonia, and I am certain it was d/t the fact he was hidden from plain sight. My mother and I stayed with him during the night; thank God we are nurses!! Hallway care is a disaster as well as a lawsuit waiting to happen....
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
:)
Because the ER is not meant for ongoing treatment...it's meant to treat urgent medical needs and move the patient on to the next step of medical care...out the door or on to a floor. Even patients view the ER as a "stopover."
In addition, the ER is primed for overcrowding due to its inputs: life-threatening emergencies, urgent care directed by a primary physician when other access points are not available (after-hours/weekends), and, unfortunately, as a primary access point for those who do not have insurance. It's the nature of the beast that everyone--healthcare workers and patients alike--understand. :)
Although I would hope it wouldn't have to happen I can understand reasoning in the ER for the reasons you stated. Either they are leaving ER and going home or they are getting admitted to somewhere in the hospital. The ER isn't where they are spending a few days. I wouldn't want to be the patient in the hall in an ER but if their was something that happened and a sleuth of people coming in, I could certainitly understand it and be patient. If I was told I was being admitted and was taken up to a floor, parked in the hall, given a warm blanket and a cup of water and a call bell and left there I would be horrified. I mean honestly, I would rather be given a blown up mattress in the supply room or something, at least I would have a minute about of dignity left that way :|
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Leslie can I ask what happened, (simple curiosity, my feelings won't be hurt if you don't want to say) but it sounds like their were a few of you in the same situation or were you all different Dx but just sharing a room?
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As a general response I fail to see why it's OK for it to happen in the ER but not on the floor.
imintrouble, BSN, RN
2,406 Posts
I thought I'd seen and heard it all in nursing. Now I learn pts are being admitted to the hallway. Next they'll start hanging hammocks from the ceiling. Bunk beds. Slide out drawers like in the morgue. Trundle beds. Murphy beds. Roof top penthouse. Mobile bed (ambulance).................