What is going on today, that so many ER's are competing to be doctor's offices? It is bad enough that so many seem to believe that is what they are to be used for. Even before the ridiculousness of offering appointments to be seen in the ER started, many seemed to think that should be an option. Can anyone say contradiction of terms with appointments for emergencies?
ER's as claimed in the name are for emergencies and EMERGENCIES DO NOT come by appointment.
When you advertise appointments and short wait times and average times to be seen by a medical professional, it is a setup for a disappointed patient when true emergent events occur. What disclaimer is provided when that MI, Stroke, and Overdose all come in at the same time????
And seeing a patient the minute they come through the door but not getting actual treatment for hours is not actually fixing anything but changing numbers. Is the patient actually more pleased with the service?
In addition, study after study shows that patient satisfaction often relates to staff satisfaction. In an effort to crunch numbers and speeding patients through the process affects the care that can be provided as well as the pride nurses have in the care they give, affecting everyone's satisfaction, rarely in a good way.
The ENA has set standards for nurse:patient ratios. Does your ER use these standards?
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