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Iowa hospitals pick up the pace in the ED

Nurse Leader Weekly, March 31, 2008

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Iowa hospitals are combating ED room congestion faster than other hospitals across the nation, according to a recent study published by Press Ganey Associates, Inc., an Indiana-based company that measures patient satisfaction.

The average time spent during an emergency visit in Iowa was 2 hours and 18 minutes, compared to the national average of 3 hrs and 42 minutes. Nebraska hospitals had the second fastest emergency visit average at 2:26, followed by South Dakota at 2:28.

Nurse.com reports some Iowa hospitals are speeding up patient flow using a five-level emergency severity index at triage that defines patient acuity and resources needed for care. Bedside registration and "bed huddles" involving staff and patient care coordinators assessing patient census, bed availability, staffing, and patient discharges are also cutting down wait times. Electronic tracking devices, in which nurses and physicians have instant access to patient status, are also being used.

Source: Nurse.com

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