Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Emergency departments throughout the nation are experiencing crowding related to increased patient volumes and decreased hospital inpatient bed capacity. As a result of lengthy wait times, patients are leaving without having medical treatment, and satisfaction is poor. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was placing a provider in triage to complement the existing split-flow process aimed to decrease wait times to see a provider, length of stay (LOS), left without being seen (LWBS) rates, and improve patient satisfaction. ⋯ The project showed that the evidence-based practice of a combined split-flow and provider-in-triage model resulted in improvements in throughput for patients who were treated and released from the emergency department.
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Improving Patients' Experiences Communicating With Nurses and Providers in the Emergency Department.
As health care becomes increasingly patient centered, organizations strive to improve patients' ratings of satisfaction with care. Communication with nurses and providers drives overall satisfaction, yet little evidence exists to guide them in ensuring effective communication in the emergency department. ⋯ The findings underscore existing evidence regarding patients' perceptions of being treated with courtesy and respect via nurses' and providers' use of positive verbal phrasing and nonverbal body language. They reveal new insights into the importance of specific communication behaviors used by nurses and providers during interactions. Treating patients as individuals amidst a fast-paced care environment, proactively recognizing and responding to patients' fears and concerns, and explaining information clearly to ensure understanding were critical.