Nurses Attention to Patient Needs in the Emergency Department In recent years, emphasis has been placed on improving the quality of healthcare services and the overall patient experience. Innovative measures are needed to meet these expectations, while also containing the rising costs of health care. The government has enacted new laws in attempts to provide incentives that base Medicare payments in part on quality. In fact, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, requires the implementation of value-based purchasing (VBP), which bases Medicare reimbursement rates on the quality of care (Kennedy, Wetzel & Wright, 2013). Hospitals may experience a decrease in revenue initially, however, it is theorized that the increase of
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Random samples of patients cared for in the emergency department are asked various questions about their overall satisfaction and experience. This survey is sent out on a monthly basis. On average, the current data regarding the topic “Nurses attention to your needs” demonstrates an area that requires improvement. According to both surveys, the average patient satisfaction score for nurses attentiveness in this emergency department can range anywhere from 70% to 81%. The departmental goal is a consistent rate of 90%, which is well above the national standard. However, patient-centered care is a value emphasized within this institution and the nurse-patient relationship is a key contributor to patient satisfaction. Baker (2012) revealed that 51% of inpatients come from the ED and base their entire experience on their emergency services. Therefore, nurses working in the ED play an important role in the overall patient satisfaction scores. Several studies show that patients appreciate reliability, responsiveness, and effective communication from healthcare professionals (Baker, 2012; Ford, …show more content…
Nurses may continue to do their reassessments on an hourly basis, and document their findings as defined by the existing policy. Many nurses are noted using the computers outside of the room to document and pull obtained vital signs into the electronic health record (EHR). One may question whether or not, every reassessment is done through the nurses’ direct involvement, but this is difficult to ascertain. Other available staff such as paramedics, patient care techs, or medical assistants participates in direct patient care; however, these measures are not done on a routine basis- other than in the role of answering call lights. These comfort measures are inconsistently documented. In other words, the ancillary staff does not have patient care measures that they are formally accountable
Random samples of patients cared for in the emergency department are asked various questions about their overall satisfaction and experience. This survey is sent out on a monthly basis. On average, the current data regarding the topic “Nurses attention to your needs” demonstrates an area that requires improvement. According to both surveys, the average patient satisfaction score for nurses attentiveness in this emergency department can range anywhere from 70% to 81%. The departmental goal is a consistent rate of 90%, which is well above the national standard. However, patient-centered care is a value emphasized within this institution and the nurse-patient relationship is a key contributor to patient satisfaction. Baker (2012) revealed that 51% of inpatients come from the ED and base their entire experience on their emergency services. Therefore, nurses working in the ED play an important role in the overall patient satisfaction scores. Several studies show that patients appreciate reliability, responsiveness, and effective communication from healthcare professionals (Baker, 2012; Ford, …show more content…
Nurses may continue to do their reassessments on an hourly basis, and document their findings as defined by the existing policy. Many nurses are noted using the computers outside of the room to document and pull obtained vital signs into the electronic health record (EHR). One may question whether or not, every reassessment is done through the nurses’ direct involvement, but this is difficult to ascertain. Other available staff such as paramedics, patient care techs, or medical assistants participates in direct patient care; however, these measures are not done on a routine basis- other than in the role of answering call lights. These comfort measures are inconsistently documented. In other words, the ancillary staff does not have patient care measures that they are formally accountable