Easing Patient Flow

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding has been a significant issue in the healthcare industry since about the early 80???s not only in the United States but also in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and even in Taiwan. Multiple research studies had been done about the causes and impacts of ED overcrowding; and interventions were suggested and tested, but it continues to be an overwhelming problem of the healthcare industry. The known major contributor to overcrowding in ED is the unavailability of inpatient beds to absorb intakes. This is brought about partly by a shortage in nursing staff and delay of discharging inpatients. The goal of the researcher is to explore ways to resolve ED overcrowding by making inpatient beds available for ED admissions. The assumption is that delay in the discharge of inpatients causes significant delay in admitting ED patients to acute of critical care beds. The purpose of this study is to investigate the causes of delay in the discharge process from the perspectives of the staff nurses compared to the perspectives of the nursing management. Result of this study will help in planning for future intervention or revising current program to help ease the flow of patients. Methodology involves conducting a semi structured survey to participants recruited for this study in the telemetry unit at Tri-City Medical Center. Data analysis will include comparison of the manager???s perception to staff perception using non-parametrical statistical analysis or paired t-test. The outcome of this study is it serves as base for an interventional study in the future.Nursin