Emergency Department Position Statement

EMERGENCY NURSES ASSOCIATION
POSITION contention

CROWDING IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT



STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Crowding in our nations pinch departments is of increase concern to health c are professionals and health care consumers alike. Although the go forth of emergency department (ED) crowding in the United States has appeared in the emergency health care literature since the early 1990s, it has get greater c everyplaceage during the last few years, capturing the attention of some(prenominal) Americans and policymakers.1-4 ED crowding can be described as a situation in which the identified need for emergency services outstrips available resources in the emergency department. This situation occurs in hospital emergency departments when there are more patients than staffed ED treatment beds and wait times exceed a honest period.5 When crowding occurs, patients are often placed in hallways and other non-
treatment areas to be monitored until ED treatment beds or staffed hospital inpatient beds become available.6 In addition, crowding whitethorn contribute to an inability to triage and treat patients in a apropos manner as well as increased evaluate of patients leaving the emergency department without being seen.



4,6 As a result of crowding, hospitals often implement ambulance deflexion measures, which means ambulances that would otherwise bring patients to the facilitys emergency department are directed to nearby emergency departments instead.4 In many cases, ambulance diversion may be an ineffective response to crowding.5-9 For example, when one hospital goes on diversion, other area hospitals may begin mirthful ambulances as well, potentially resulting in ED crowding end-to-end the community.8,9

In response to growing national concern over ED crowding, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) conducted a depicted object of hospital emergency departments in metropolitan statistical areas to investigate the level of crowding experienced, the factors contributing to crowding,...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com



If you want to get a full essay, wisit our page: write my paper