ED Management articles from May 2005

ED Management archives from May 2005

End-of-life decisions can be complex, even when patients have a DNR.
May 1, 2005... End-of-life decisions can be complex, even when patients have a DNR Make sure you, patient, and family are clear on goals of resuscitation The widespread publicity surrounding the case of Terri Schiavo may have brought end-of-life...

Are ED staff prepared to give palliative care?(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Are ED staff prepared to give palliative care? While ED staff are well-versed in life-saving techniques, they are not as expert in making dying patients feel comfortable, asserts Tammie E. Quest, MD, assistant professor in the department of...

DNR a small part of overall care plan.
May 1, 2005... DNR a small part of overall care plan It's important for ED managers to remember that just because a patient has a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order, that doesn't mean all of the patient's wishes have been expressed in writing, says James...

Manufacturing techniques help turn ED around.
May 1, 2005... Manufacturing techniques help turn ED around LOS, patient satisfaction improve dramatically About one year ago, the ED at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, OH, was facing what Marci Conti, RN, MBA, vice president of operations and chief...

Lean manufacturing means 'keep it simple'.
May 1, 2005... Lean manufacturing means 'keep it simple' Because concepts from other industries can sometimes seem a bit obscure to the health care professional, this real-life synopsis of the use of lean manufacturing techniques (eliminating waste, or...

Will staff restructuring improve psych diagnoses?
May 1, 2005... Will staff restructuring improve psych diagnoses? Author urges 'paradigm shift' out of trauma model If Seth Kunen, PhD, PsyD, had his druthers, every ED manager in America would have a staff or a call panel that included a substance...

You don't need a new paradigm to improve care.
May 1, 2005... You don't need a new paradigm to improve care Although a new paradigm can radically improve the rate at which psychiatric disorders are diagnosed in the ED, there is much ED managers can do short of a major staffing overhaul that can...

Training with mannequins improves safety, efficiency.
May 1, 2005... Training with mannequins improves safety, efficiency Responses to treatment closely mirror life A growing number of ED physicians and managers are gaining access to a training resource that its proponents claim boosts patient safety,...

Simulation competency course is a first.
May 1, 2005... Simulation competency course is a first It's the first of its kind: a course in difficult airway management using mannequin simulations that is required for all practicing emergency physicians at the University of Pittsburgh Medical...

EMTALA Q & A.(emergency medical services)
May 1, 2005... Question: I am a chairman in an ED, and this case recently occurred: A man came to the ED after cutting his flexor tendon at home. He had 100% flexor cut on his non-dominant hand. He was also experiencing a loss of sensation around the ulnar...

Managers at recently surveyed EDs warn: Surveyors target overcrowding standard.
May 1, 2005... Managers at recently surveyed EDs warn: Surveyors target overcrowding standard ED patients must receive same level of care as inpatients, no matter how crowded ED gets It's an ED manager's worst nightmare: You have one of the most...

Overcrowding-Related Process Improvement Activities in the Adult ED (Excerpt).
May 1, 2005... Overcrowding-Related Process Improvement Activities in the Adult ED (Excerpt) Things Currently Being Done *Triage Area * Triage criteria prioritize patients by acuity. *Patients with chest pain have electrocardiogram performed...

What do you do when there are no beds ready?
May 1, 2005... What do you do when there are no beds ready? 'Comfort' stretchers help ease the burden You can be certain that your accreditation surveyor will ask you what you do in the ED when you have admitted patients and no inpatient beds are...

CE/CME Questions.
May 1, 2005... CE/CME objectives * Implement managerial procedures suggested by your peers in the publication. (See End-of-life decisions can be complex, even when patients have a DNR and Are ED staff prepared to give palliative care?) * Discuss and...