TV in the ED

We have TVs in our exam rooms and it does seem to help the patient pass the time waiting for test results. It is especially helpful with the kids who would be bored if they had nothing to do while waiting. As far as crowd control, I don't see the rooms having an increase of visitors just to watch TV.

I am personally for them, and always ask my patients if they want it on before I leave the room. Besides, sometimes it can be a conversation starter with the patients and families, as you can comment about something that is currently showing on the TV.

JMHO,:)

Pam

Originally posted by RNCENCCRNNREMTP

Does anybody else out there have TV's in the ED exam rooms? How do you manage any problems with noise, crowds, etc?

It's your house Andrew. You handle it the same way you handle it know.

my baby just spent the whole day in the er for injecting my epi pen into her palm(she got it out of my closed back pack )...... .

Anyways the tv was a godsend. she spent the day with out a peep. works great i think.

We have TVs in our ED, and crowd control has not been any more an issue than before they were installed. Word to the wise - bolt your remote controls down, or eliminate them altogether. They tend to grow legs. Get ready for patients using the call light to ask you to turn the TV for them. Get ready for patients to ask you to turn to their favorite show, but not know exactly what channel it is on, but oh yeah, that's right, it comes on tomorrow, not today, after you have back spasms from reaching upward tapping that 1 mm button to turn 69 channels twice.

Kids love the fact they can watch cartoon network, and it proves to be positive reinforcement for their cooperation with treatment. All in all, the TV thing was a good one, because remember...being inside 4 walls makes 1 hour seem like an eternity.

I still do not like the idea, we already have enough people there for BS reasons (like ALL ED's), why add one more reason for them to come in. I know when I go see my MD I do not expect to watch TV. I would agree if all that was shown was health education/promotion. No Springer or Oprah or Dr Phil.

There's just no room for TVs in the ED I volunteer at.

Sounds like another complicating factor in the ER. Think the negatives outweigh the pluses.

i've only ever seen them in the waiting area! How strange!

Originally posted by FutureNurse2005

i've only ever seen them in the waiting area! How strange!

That is where I say they should stay.

I have worked in 2 different er's; one very slow one that had tv's in some rooms and one very busy one with tv's in 90% of rooms including a seperate peds er and fasttrac. I am 100% for tv's in the er and feel there are very few detriments to them. they are great for kids-cartoon network and they are great distractors when a pt has to wait and wait and wait....... they can definitly make life much more bearable to the pt, and remember-for the breif time that pt is with you it is THEIR home, too.

the tv ads comfort, security and has a definite place in the er. actually, it would also be great to have vcr's in the rooms, too. a reason is, say a pt was dx with gallstones and being admitted. while they were waiting on an admission bed they could watch an educational video on gallstones. yah that sounds boring but most pts i see are STARVED for info esp with new disease processes and a video can encourage questions and stir learning.

about the remotes; forget it! if they have that no family with them i turn it; if someone is with them i tell them they are the remote.

goodnight.

i agree w/ the other postings - have worked in multiple ed's - some w/ tv's others w/o and tv's definately decrease the number of complaints due to wait... as far as visitors - just because there is a tv in the room doesn't mean you allow more visitors in the room - we have a policy of 2 at a time only - and management strongly backs us for enforcing it.

Originally posted by athomas91

just because there is a tv in the room doesn't mean you allow more visitors in the room - we have a policy of 2 at a time only - and management strongly backs us for enforcing it.

And here lies part of my systems underlying problem, the admin does not support us trying to enforce visitation policy. very touchy-feely admin, little backing for staff trying to run the ED.

There are TV's in our ED rooms. The two times I've been in one of those rooms-- once as a patient, once when my husband was a patient-- I was very thankful for them. There were no magazines and I would've gone stir crazy while waiting to be examined, for test results, etc., if I hadn't been distracted by the TV. It was suspended from the ceiling, and so didn't take up any room. And the way our TV remotes are rigged throughout the hospital, they're attached to the wall with a long cord, and the audio comes through the remote, so it doesn't get TOO loud.

There's also one TV in the ED waiting room which I'd think could get on people's nerves if it's a show they're not interested in or a program's on that's loud and annoying to someone in pain-- emotional and/or physical.