Emergency Rooms And The Health Care

A visit to the emergency department (ED) is usually associated with negative thoughts by most people. It creates preconceived images of overcrowded waiting rooms and routine long waits for treatment (Jarousse, 2011). From 1996 to 2006, ED visits increased annually from 90.3 million to 119.2 million (32% increase). During this same time period, the number of EDs has declined by 186 facilities creating the age old lower supply and greater demand concept (Crane & Noon, 2011). There are many contributing factors that have led to an increase in ED visits. A few of these key drivers include lack of primary care access, rising of the uninsured population, dwindling mental health services, and the growing elderly

This paper will discuss the Canadian healthcare system compared to the United States healthcare system. Although they’re close in proximity, these two nations have very different health care systems. Each healthcare system has its own difficulties, and is currently trying to find ways to improve. Canada currently uses the Universal Health Care system; which provides healthcare coverage to all Canadian citizens (Canadian Health Care, 2007). The services are executed on both a territorial and provincial basis, by staying within the guidelines that have been enforced by the federal government (Canadian Health Care, 2007).

When asked to describe what makes Canada unique compared to other countries, many outsiders might yell out “Hockey!” “Cold Weather!” or “Free Health Care!.” Health care is definitely one of Canada’s most noticeable trademarks when compared to the United States, but the reality is that our health care services are not what they are made out to be. Canadians tend to take pride in the fact that they have a Government funded health care system, but the system is failing at a rapid pace. One can gage the quality of health care in our country while at the emergency ward in any hospital, where most Canadians realize its downsides. The Government spends most of its budget towards health care but Canadians are not feeling an improvement. Waiting

14 million Canadians visit Emergency Departments (ED) every year, and also reported to having the highest use of EDs (Ontario Hospital Association, 2006). ED overcrowding in Canada has become an epidemic. ED overcrowding has been defined as “a situation in which the demand for emergency services exceeds the ability of an (emergency) department to provide quality care within acceptable time frames” (Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, 2014). This has been an ongoing problem across Canada. Ontario has developed an initiative to reduce ED wait times by implementing a variety of strategies and collaborating with other institutions. This paper describes the Emergency Room National Ambulatory Intuitive (ERNI), an

There are many components to a hospital or medical facility. All of them are necessary to have a properly functioning environment. The emergency department of a hospital is a fast paced world. You have to be constantly on your toes and prepared for whatever may come through the doors. There are many people that work in an emergency room to make it run smoothly. Techs, nurses, CNA’s, LVN’s, and doctors all work side by side to help those who are critically injured. Without all these people it would be complete chaos.

Additionally, urgent care centers have been able to offer patients an alternative to the significantly higher cost of emergency room visits. Following an emergency room visit, patients are charged according to the level of care they are receiving which is rated from minor to major injuries and illnesses. Insurance companies may reject coverage of patients who sought care for a low level injury or illness in an emergency room setting leaving the patient with a large bill for a moderate condition. In addition to the cost of the treatment, insurance companies charge patients an additional fee just for utilizing an emergency room. Furthermore, the cost of seeing an urgent care provider versus an emergency department provider is significantly cheaper.

An emergency room nurse may assist in moving patients, taking blood labs and must use care and compassion while treating or informing patients of their condition. They may help physicians during exams and treatments, and monitor and record patients conditions, evaluate patients response to treatment and notify the doctor when appropriate. The information collected will be used by the emergency room nurse to identify factors related to discharge and advise the patient and family on how to continue their proper health care after leaving the hospital. Upon discharge the ER nurse will provide referrals to other health care individuals for follow up treatment to ensure continued care.

Any patient brought into the Emergency Department, is first signed in at ED receptionist desk and triaged by a triage nurse, prioritized and brought to patient room by a charged nurse either by wheelchair or stretcher or walking by the patient depending on patient’s illness. A nurse is assigned to the patient. Emergency Doctor comes in and if the patient illness is life threatening it is stabilized and the Doctor orders test such as blood work and x-ray if necessary to be conducted. Based on the test result the patient is either discharged or admitted. Certain times the emergency department is filled with a lot of patient that there is no place to sit and patients keep coming in and creating

With so many cases of unfilled position in the hospital patients is not obtaining great services. Patient not receiving proper cares leads to closures, because of prolonged postponements that have led to deaths. Patient complaints at the emergency room have increased in recent years. Numerous patients that were admitted to the hospital’s emergency room are at high risk of dying. Six percent of emergency rooms in the U.S. have closed. These closings took place in the inner-city and low-income areas, but with an emergency room visit increasing by nearly 51%, the overwhelming amount of closures.

The author will discuss within the essay, the introduction of the Emergency Care Standard and the effects on patient flow within the NHS. Also, the many changes which have implications for the author professional practice and how if possible they maybe overcome.

Assess the current Models of Care in their Emergency Departments using the given criteria It is recognised that not all of the Models of Emergency Care are applicable for all NSW Emergency Departments. Decisions to implement them will be made based on the staff, patient presentations and space available in the ED to operate each model. Assess the potential to introduce models to their hospitals that may improve patient care and flow, the patient experience and clinical outcomes

Many know that Canada has a universal health, but they don’t fully understand the aspects of their health care system and how it works for them. Canada’s health care system is based around the Canada Health Act and aims to provide care for all medical necessary health services. With it being a universal health system it allow all citizens access to health care and that also means that it is publicly funded system. There has been many challenges that Canada has faces with the universal health system, but are continuing to find ways to improve their system for their citizens. As with any other countries health system there are pros and cons. Canada has found a system that work for them and they citizen and are continuing to ensure that their

The role of the emergency department is to diagnose and treat acute and urgent illnesses and injuries. Patients are seen in order of medical urgency. The emergency department bases the patients urgency for treatment based on levels. Level 1 is critical and life-threatening. This is usually related to ABC’s (Airway, Breathing, and Circulation). These patients are top priority and require a lifesaving intervention. Level 2 is also considered high priority and can also be life-threatening. Psychiatric patients are considered level 2, and patients arriving to the ED with chest pain. Level 3 patients require resources such as sutures, x-rays, CAT scans, MRI, etc. Level 3 patients are provided treatment services only after Level 1 and 2 have been addressed. The emergency department at CEMC also has a trauma room and a SANE room. The trauma room is equipped with life-saving medications (such as antidotes for drug overdose) and medical equipment. The SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) room consists of equipment used to assess a patient who has been sexually assaulted. The equipment takes pictures of the patient for the SANE nurse to later provide to law enforcement. A SANE nurse is a specialty nurse and CEMC has one on call 24/7.

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding has become an international health crisis and been identified as a major threaten to public health. As defined by Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, overcrowding is a situation in which ED patients’ demand for services exceeds the staffing capacity to provide care within a reasonable length of time, thereby impeding ED function. Some has called ED as the safety net of the health care system, given its unique role in public health. However, the increasing problem of crowding and the associated impacts has strained this safety net to the “breaking point”. ED overcrowding and prolonged waiting time are associate with adverse consequences towards quality of care and patient safety, as well as

This research is trying to answer the question of how to reduce overcrowding in emergency rooms? Would people would want to access published wait times provided on the internet, and would this guide a patient make decisions on where they receive their care. The hypothesis being one, crowding maybe reduced with having upfront information, and therefore also provide increased patient satisfaction due to waiting less. Patients would have more choices available to them such as