What do you folks think of this?

[MrsWampthang]

C:\Documents and Settings\pcook\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK1CA\Hospital turning ER care on its ear1.html

I hope this article came through ok. I have mixed feelings about this. I would LOVE to hear how the staff of this ER really feels about this. I saw one of the management people from this ER speak at a conference and she said that if she had her way, they wouldn't even have a nurse's station; all the nurses would be at the bedside! I think there are some really good ideas at this ER, but, no waiting room?! Anyway, what do you all think about this ER?

Pam

[BBFRN, BSN, PhD]

Originally posted by kastas

I am also thinking of the poor floor nurses. How much pressure they must feel to get these pt's moved up to rooms. What do they do when their rooms are full also?

My guess is the patients on the floors get discharged earlier, and the ones on the units get transferred to the floors earlier. I wonder if time will show an increase in readmissions to the hospital, or if the hospital will go on deversion more/less because of this- if they're eligible to go on deversion at all.

I'm just leery of a hospital guaranteeing a wait of no more than half an hour to be seen (kinda Pizza Hut-ish, isn't it?), when there are so many factors and staff personnel involved in the process of making that happen. But if they are able to pull this off and have found some way to streamline and better organize it all- more power to them.

[New CCU RN]

It has potential. However, it sounds like it was designed by someone who is not actually in health care but in some sort of business mode........

[New CCU RN]

But that's right, we are servicing clients not treating patients :chuckle

[Scis]

Sounds wonderful, but definitely not workable in all areas of the country. In the ER I work, a level I, large-inner city hospital, we have a 22-bedded main ER, which usually converts to 22 x 2, as well as counter and chair space on regular basis. Management actually condones, no, dictates, that we "double-up" two patients into each bed site during peak periods. The more emergent patients get the spot closest to the cardiac monitor! Talk about no privacy!

When they scream out in triage about the long waits, they get in and realize that what we said was true, "there are NO beds

available!" I know I would not want to be doubled-up, nor would I want my family member to be, however, this is the nature of the beast today with the increased census of patients in our ER's.

It' s nearly impossible to maneuver between the stretchers, not to mention the contamination component of two ill patients being in such close quarters!