balbiRN

This is what I personally think is important in a good report and depending if I receive report from the ED nurse or a psych triage nurse; name, age, gender, MR# (if they're being transferred from another facility and they're not in our system), reason why they came in, latest vitals, abnormal labs, urine drug screen, alcohol level, meds recently given, over-all appearance, gait, calm and cooperative or do I need to prepare for a crisis intervention.

In our hospital, we have a psych triage nurse to assess the pt and a telepsych ("doc on wheels") to see the pt at whatever time of day. That way, they quickly get into our in-house mental health unit or another facility. It's not that we need to free up the ED (which really is the case tbh) but because the mental health staff may be better equipped with the pt's needs.