What Would You Change??

Specialties Emergency

Published

If you could change one thing about the ER that you work in to make it a better place, what would it be?

Specializes in ER, critical care.

I would start at the top...

The administrative structure needs to be recycled every so often to keep fresh ideas coming....

EMTALA law...

The definition of medical screening exam.....

Free lunch for all employees....

Updated equipment....

Available equipment...

Enough supplies....

Enough staff....

oh... and I would have the state college's football games playing on a continuous loop on all the network channels.... (our volume is always low during football games)

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

A pelvic room not used as a patient room, but just available for the neverending series of pelvic exams that need to be done, (but get put on hold until the person in one of the pelvic rooms is discharged, or we play musical beds until everyone has rotated through).

NO beds in the hallways! :uhoh21:

Having the same staffing ratio around the clock. Why is it that nights have as many patients as days, but only 2/3 the nurses (if that), only one sec., one tech and NO transporter!

Get rid of the massive amount of paperwork to justify restraints, bad enough we have to use them in the first place. :monkeydance:

No carpeting, ick:nono:

Specializes in Emergency.

You have a secretary?

Specializes in ED tech on a resp. therapist adventure.

#1 Make hallways from one area to another match up. I feel like I am running the grand prix some days weaving around corners etc.

#2 Make doorways/halls wider

The people who design hospitals are not the ones who work in them for sure or else there would be better designed rooms, halls, doorways etc.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
The people who design hospitals are not the ones who work in them for sure or else there would be better designed rooms, halls, doorways etc.

I told my husband this last year when he landed his current administrating job. It only makes sense to ask for input (and USE it) from the people who are working there, about renovations.

Wow, lots of great responses here and I can identify with all of these.

But the number one thing on my list that absolutely burns me is the holding admitted patients in the ER thing. I don't have access to the actual numbers, but a significant portion of the shifts I work, the only reason the ER is actually busy is because a large number of our ER beds are tied up with "Admit Holds" waiting on an available room upstairs.

Regards,

David

Specializes in Emergency Room.

mandatory 12 hour (no lunch break) shifts for all management people who have a nursing degree. I think they need to do this at least 1-2 times per month

Specializes in Emergency.

"mandatory 12 hour (no lunch break) shifts for all management people who have a nursing degree. I think they need to do this at least 1-2 times per month"

Ditto on the above. Actually we should have ALL administrative staff shadow us for a day. Especially a day (like I had yesterday) where you don't get the opportunity to go to the bathroom or even get a Diet Pepsi. If I have one more person, tell me "just go," I'll scream!

I would also like to have security personnel who are not retired. If you want to be hospital security, especially in the ER, you need to be under the age of 60!

Also, I hate to ask for too much, but if we could have housekeeping swing through more than once a day, it would be a God send.

Specializes in ED tech on a resp. therapist adventure.

and if they are unwilling to send housekeeping through the er more than once a day (at 6 am mind you) get bigger trashcans.....

does management realize how big a bedpan or a vomit bucket is? they take up alot of room in a trashcan. :barf01:

mandatory 12 hour (no lunch break) shifts for all management people who have a nursing degree. I think they need to do this at least 1-2 times per month

I love this one....great idea. And I would add the 12 hour shift they work must be walking in our shoes in the ER. Perhaps they could work as a tech in the ER pushing stretchers for those 12 hours.

Regards,

David

Specializes in ER, telemetry.

All I want is to be able to eat and pee once during my 12 hours. Just once, and I swear I will eat fast.

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.
All I want is to be able to eat and pee once during my 12 hours. Just once, and I swear I will eat fast.

:bow: Amen! The longest I have gone is 9 hours without peeing. I am sure this will have repercussions later on in life :-)

No Mandatory overtime!

A well-staffed ER!

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