ER

[Guest coastal79]

First of all, ER wait times are a huge problem, no doubt about it. A previous poster mentioned public education, and I think that this is one of the best ways that wait times in the ER can be reduced. People need to realize that many medical problems that they bring to the ER can be taken care of in drop-in clinics. Besides reducing the wait time for everyone else, this would save HC dollars cause a trip to the hospital costs more. Here in Kelowna we recently had a nasty flu going around and, almost immediately, the newspaper had a frontpage story telling people not to come to the ER unless they really needed to.

 

As a volunteer in the ER, I've yet to see a serious case get left in the waiting room. Granted, I've never been in the ER when it is busy enough for a 9 hour wait. Nevertheless, if it's serious they find space. When it is really busy, less serious cases have been treated in the waiting room. I like the above suggestion that nurse practioners could take responsibility for some cases. However, I remember reading somewhere that nurse practioners can do 90% of the things that a doctor can. The difference lies in the 10% that they can't do. I'm not trying to say that nurse practioners can't be used effectively, yet the reality is that they won't have the same knowledge and training as a doctor, and they would probably miss a diagnosis more often than a physician. Obviously, physicians make bad calls too. :\

I'm expecting to get slammed for these comments by more knowledgable RNs, but being told you're wrong is the only way to learn.

 

Final idea, increasing communication and transfer of patients between different levels of care facilites. Making it easy to move patients to a more appropriate care facility would reduce the number of bed-blockers, and open up spots upstairs for patients from the ER.

 

Cheers