Janet,
There are several models in use that can help this situation. Many
facilities use similar team responses for CODE BLUE teams and Mass Casualty
teams. What I have experienced that works well is where an ICU nurse
responds and does all documentation - this is the ICU nurse who will admit
the patient to ICU, 2 options to address medications - a. Include pharmacy
in the team or b. A med-surg nurse from the floor whose only duty is to draw
up and label drugs.
This allows ED nurses to be at the bedside and only pulls 2 out of ED
staffing.
This is a "system" response to a patient who like someone coding on
the floor needs rapid response by personnel trained to meet a specific need
without impacting one area of the system to the detriment of others.
Jacqueline Kosakowski RN, MSN
Trauma Program Coordinator
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Scottish Rite Campus
404/250-2313
-----Original Message-----
From: Janet Cortez [mailto:Janet.Cortez@hsc.utah.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 8:50 AM
To: traumanurses@mailman.listserve.com
Subject: [traumanurses] Trauma Nurse Utilization
We currently utilize nursing staff from the ED to provide
all nursing care during the trauma resuscitation. This same nurse
accompanies the patient to any radiologic procedures and finally to their
destination unit. As you might expect, on a busy trauma day/night, this can
pull several nurses at a time out away from their "routine" duties, leaving
the ED itself short staffed. Utilizing the trauma registry we have trended
days of the week and times that are "trauma heavy" and began to staff
accordingly, but some of these things you cannot plan for! Can any of you
share ideas on how you utilize nursing staff in caring for trauma patients
without depleting the ED?
I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts-
Janet F. Cortez RN, MSN
Trauma Program Manager
University of Utah Hospital
50 N. Medical Drive Rm #6009
SLC, UT 84132
(801) 581-2622 office
(801) 581-2799 fax
janet.cortez@hsc.utah.edu
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