INPATIENT SERVICES

Inpatient Services



Abstract

This paper describes the inpatient setting of the emergency department. It describes the basic components, functions, key personnel within the department, and how this department supports or is supported by other departments. It explains trends that impacts emergency department. Overcrowding and the shortage of health care staff are the main issues, which are influencing the quality care in emergency department. The paper analyzes and provides the possible solution of these issues.

Inpatient Services

Introduction

The emergency department (ED) is the most important clinical unit. The treatment experience of patients attending the ED influences satisfaction of the patient and an image of the hospital. It receives, stabilizes and manages patients who critical, or having acute condition. It manages the following kind of patients (Richardson, Hwang, 2001).

Discussion

Management of Patients

It manages following kinds of patients:

•Pediatric patients

•Major trauma patients

•Psychiatric patients

•Patients of sexual assault

•Patients with infectious diseases.

•Observation of critical patients

•The treatment prisoners in custody

•Patients affected by chemical and radiological incidents (Richardson, Hwang, 2001).

Functions of Emergency Department

An emergency department has the following important functions:

•Management of patients.

•Research.

•Teaching.

•Administration.

•Telemedicine.

•It facilitates undergraduate, postgraduate teaching, and training.

Key Personnel of Emergency Department

Health care staff provides management and treatment to patients. It includes the following important personnel:

•Consultant physicians.

•Junior and trainee doctors.

•Senior nurse managers.

•Junior nurses.

•Nursing assistants.

•Administrators.

•Other health care staff that supports in treatment of patients (Richardson, Hwang, 2001).

Planning of the emergency department can be done with the help of following factors

•Annual census

•Daily peak patient volumes

•Admission/transfer rate.

•Length of stay of patients

Major Functional Areas of Emergency Department

• Staff workstations.

• Resuscitation area.

• Consultation area.

• Pediatric areas.

• Procedure room.

• Plaster room.

• Pharmacy/drug preparation.

• Isolation room.

• Decontamination areas.

• Tutorial room.

Connection of Emergency Department with Other Departments

The emergency department is linked with the following main departments, which provide support to ED. Medical Imaging

The unit allows the imaging of emergency patients. It has facility of X-Ray, Ultrasound, Magnetic Resource Imaging, CT scanning and Nuclear Medicine modalities. These facilities enhance the effectiveness of management in the emergency department.

Medical Records

Medical record department provides the patients' previous record, which is accessible 24 hrs a day. It also improves and supports the treatment facilities of the patient.

Intensive Care Unit and Coronary Care Unit

Emergency department is linked with the intensive care unit to allow rapid transfer of critically ill patients, who were given first aid treatment in emergency department. Coronary care unit receives those patients from emergency department, who presents with acute cardiovascular emergencies (Vincent, 2011). Operating Rooms

Emergency department is linked with operating rooms to provide emergency surgeries, such as cases of ruptured ectopic pregnancy, ruptured appendicitis, or major trauma, etc.

Pathology lab and Pharmacy

Emergency department is linked with pathology laboratory to provide all kinds of investigations, which are required in emergency department, such as blood gas analysis, urine pregnancy test, etc. It is also linked with pharmacy.

Trends the impact the Emergency Department

There are two major trends that are influencing the quality of care in the department. They are discussed below with the possible suggested solution.

Lack of nursing staff

Due to overcrowding, emergency department is facing shortage of health care ...