GIVING PATIENTS FAST ACCESS TO CARE
After 17 years as an emergency room nurse, the challenge of "being ready for anything" is one of the things Tamara Murray, RN, loves about her job in the hospital's Emergency Department.
"You have to be on your toes at all times and have knowledge of all types of clinical and physical conditions people will come in with," she says.
The pace in the ED has risen dramatically during her years of nursing. The number of patients has grown steadily over the past decade, reaching nearly 44,600 visits in fiscal 2009.
To help accommodate increased patient volume, ED staff have implemented several measures within the past year, including hiring additional staff and expanding the facility. Five new rooms are home to the Fast Track program.
"Some patients who come to the ED aren't seriously ill," Murray explained. "Maybe they don't have a primary care physician and don't know where else to go with a badly sprained ankle or a child who's been vomiting for a couple of days. These patients can be assessed and Fast Tracked, which means they'll be seen and treated relatively quickly by a nurse practitioner and a nurse."
Fast Track helps keep other ED rooms free for more critically ill patients. The hospital is the region's only verified Level I Trauma Center, which means ED nurses like Murray often see patients whose lives hang in the balance.
"It's challenging and rewarding – all at the same time," Murray concludes.