• Azalea Marie Bunch, A Renee Leasure, Cathrin Carithers, Robert E Burnette, and Michael Scott Berryman.
• Emergency Department, TeamHeath Memorial Hermann Health Care System, Huntsville and The Woodlands, Texas.
• J Am Assoc Nurse Pract. 2016 Feb 1; 28 (2): 75-83.

PurposeThe purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project is to compare the effectiveness of a rapid 90-min chest pain screening and evaluation protocol to a 120-min screening and evaluation protocol in determining patient readiness for hospital admission or discharge home.Data SourcesThe existing chest pain protocol utilized in the emergency department (ED) was revised based on a review of current research changing initial screening and reevaluation times from 120 to 90 min. A prospective comparative study of patients presenting to the ED with chest pain was performed comparing the existing chest pain protocol of 120 min (standard care) with a rapid screening evaluation protocol of 90 min. A total of 128 patients presenting to an ED in Texas with chest pain comprised the sample for this study.ConclusionsThere was a significant difference in the number of minutes between the groups for readiness for disposition. The average time from chest pain evaluation to readiness for disposition home, observation, or admission decreased from an average of 191 min in the standard care group to an average of 118 min in the rapid screening group.Implications For PracticeUse of the rapid screening and evaluation protocol decreased the time to disposition by an average of 73 min, which enhanced ED flow without influencing disposition and patient safety.©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

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