ED management : the monthly update on emergency department management
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A new Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert notes that EDs are the most vulnerable area of the hospital when it comes to violence and that access control is a key to preventing that violence. * Perform a risk assessment, so you know where your greatest threats lie. Examine physical control barriers, and consider access control products such as keypads. Position security personnel in the greeting area of the ED.
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Making it possible for patients to text the ED for wait times, as several Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) facilities have done, takes more than just technology. As Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center has shown, it takes a good deal of staff preparation and internal and external education. ⋯ ED nurses received education about the corporate flow measures by which their performance would be evaluated. A public education campaign was designed to ensure that prospective patients understood exactly what the posted wait times meant.