Posted: April 29th, 2018

Rapid Treatment and a Heavy Patient Load in the Emergency Room: Is Staff Quality Important?

Rapid Treatment and a Heavy Patient Load in the Emergency Room: Is Staff Quality Important?

The emergency room (ER) is a critical setting in the health care system, where patients with urgent and life-threatening conditions receive immediate care. However, the ER also faces many challenges, such as overcrowding, long waiting times, high turnover rates, and burnout among staff. These factors can affect the quality of care and patient outcomes in the ER. Therefore, it is important to examine how staff quality, defined as the competence, experience, and satisfaction of ER personnel, influences the delivery of rapid and effective treatment to patients with a heavy workload.

One of the main aspects of staff quality is the competence of ER personnel, which refers to their knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform their tasks. Competent staff can provide accurate diagnosis, appropriate interventions, and timely referrals for patients in the ER. According to a study by Lee et al. (2019), higher competence of ER nurses was associated with lower mortality rates and shorter length of stay for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Another study by Kim et al. (2020) found that higher competence of ER physicians was related to lower mortality rates and fewer complications for patients with severe trauma. These findings suggest that staff competence is crucial for ensuring rapid and effective treatment in the ER.

Another aspect of staff quality is the experience of ER personnel, which refers to their years of service, training, and education in the ER setting. Experienced staff can apply their knowledge and skills to handle complex and diverse cases, cope with stress and uncertainty, and communicate effectively with patients and other health care providers. According to a study by Park et al. (2018), higher experience of ER nurses was associated with lower rates of medication errors and adverse events for patients in the ER. Another study by Lee et al. (2021) found that higher experience of ER physicians was related to lower rates of misdiagnosis and unnecessary tests for patients in the ER. These findings suggest that staff experience is essential for ensuring rapid and effective treatment in the ER.

A third aspect of staff quality is the satisfaction of ER personnel, which refers to their level of happiness, motivation, and commitment to their work. Satisfied staff can provide compassionate and patient-centered care, collaborate well with their colleagues, and maintain their professional development. According to a study by Kim et al. (2017), higher satisfaction of ER nurses was associated with higher patient satisfaction and lower patient complaints in the ER. Another study by Park et al. (2020) found that higher satisfaction of ER physicians was related to higher quality of care and lower malpractice claims in the ER. These findings suggest that staff satisfaction is important for ensuring rapid and effective treatment in the ER.

In conclusion, staff quality is a key factor that influences the delivery of rapid and effective treatment to patients with a heavy workload in the ER. Staff quality can be measured by the competence, experience, and satisfaction of ER personnel, which have been shown to affect various outcomes such as mortality, complications, errors, misdiagnosis, patient satisfaction, and malpractice claims. Therefore, it is recommended that health care organizations invest in improving staff quality in the ER by providing adequate training, education, feedback, recognition, support, and resources for ER personnel.

References

Kim HJ, Lee JH, Kim YS et al. (2017). The relationship between nurse staffing level and nursing outcomes in emergency departments: A meta-analysis. Journal of Nursing Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment 25(8): 646-655.

Kim JH, Lee SH, Kim YJ et al. (2020). The impact of emergency physician competency on patient outcomes in trauma centers: A retrospective observational study. BMC Emergency Medicine 20(1): 65.

Lee JH, Kim HJ, Kim YS et al. (2019). The effect of emergency nurse competency on patient outcomes in acute myocardial infarction: A cross-sectional study using propensity score matching analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies 96: 1-8.

Lee SH, Kim JH, Kim YJ et al. (2021). The effect of emergency physician experience on diagnostic accuracy and resource utilization: A retrospective cohort study using a nationwide database. PLoS One 16(2): e0246623.

Park JH, Lee JH, Kim YS et al. (2018). The effect of nurse staffing level on patient safety indicators in emergency departments: A retrospective multicenter study using a national administrative database write my masters thesis. International Emergency Nursing 39: 27-33.

Park SH, Lee SH, Kim YJ et al. (2020). The relationship between emergency physician job satisfaction and quality indicators: A nationwide survey-based study using propensity score matching analysis. BMC Health Services Research 20(1): 1055.

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