Stocking of a Busy Emergency Department
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Hospital |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Other |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | Any |
| Updated: | 5/5/2014 |
| Start Date: | January 2008 |
| End Date: | December 2013 |
Stocking of essential supplies in an emergency department (ED) is crucial in order to
efficiently and effectively take care of patients. When equipment and supplies are not
available to patient care providers, an imbalance in the delivery of care is created. The
amount of time nurses spend away from the bedside obtaining supplies has only been
superficially studied; however, one study proposed that the majority of nurses spend 5 to 20
percent or more of their time during a shift. This results in 30 minutes to two-and-a-half
hours of a twelve hour shift being lost to retrieving supplies that are not available.
Cabinets and drawers have recently been eliminated in the rooms and stock is kept in "supply
towers" that contain all the necessary supplies to adequately take care of patients with the
exception of medications, or stationary supplies. Towers are restocked every morning by a
stocking technician by taking the towers to the stock room, resupplying them based on
previously established PAR levels, and utilizing a standard chart that describes exactly
what supply, and how many to stock within a specified area of the cart.
During their shift, the stocking technician must also respond to pages concerning low stock
levels.
Hypothesis:
Nurses spend a significant amount of time away from the patient bedside during their shift
looking for supplies.
efficiently and effectively take care of patients. When equipment and supplies are not
available to patient care providers, an imbalance in the delivery of care is created. The
amount of time nurses spend away from the bedside obtaining supplies has only been
superficially studied; however, one study proposed that the majority of nurses spend 5 to 20
percent or more of their time during a shift. This results in 30 minutes to two-and-a-half
hours of a twelve hour shift being lost to retrieving supplies that are not available.
Cabinets and drawers have recently been eliminated in the rooms and stock is kept in "supply
towers" that contain all the necessary supplies to adequately take care of patients with the
exception of medications, or stationary supplies. Towers are restocked every morning by a
stocking technician by taking the towers to the stock room, resupplying them based on
previously established PAR levels, and utilizing a standard chart that describes exactly
what supply, and how many to stock within a specified area of the cart.
During their shift, the stocking technician must also respond to pages concerning low stock
levels.
Hypothesis:
Nurses spend a significant amount of time away from the patient bedside during their shift
looking for supplies.
Objectives:
- Determine the amount of time nurses spend outside of a patient room obtaining supplies
to care for the patient.
- Determine what supplies are obtained when the room is left.
- Determine how many times per shift the nurse leaves to obtain the same item.
- Determine if utilizing a "supply tower" located in patient rooms decreases the amount
of time nurses spend obtaining supplies outside of a patient room to care for patients.
- Determine if implementation of a full time stocking technician decreases the amount of
time that nurses spend outside a patient's room obtaining stock.
- Conduct spot checks on carts to determine if PAR levels are over, under, or exactly as
established.
- Determine the amount of time nurses spend outside of a patient room obtaining supplies
to care for the patient.
- Determine what supplies are obtained when the room is left.
- Determine how many times per shift the nurse leaves to obtain the same item.
- Determine if utilizing a "supply tower" located in patient rooms decreases the amount
of time nurses spend obtaining supplies outside of a patient room to care for patients.
- Determine if implementation of a full time stocking technician decreases the amount of
time that nurses spend outside a patient's room obtaining stock.
- Conduct spot checks on carts to determine if PAR levels are over, under, or exactly as
established.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Nurse is an employee of LVHHN, and is working at the CC site.
- Nurse is working a full shift (7a-7p, 7p-7a, 7a-3p, 3p-11p, 11p-7a).
- The nurse being observed is working in Pod 1, Pod 2, Pod 3, or Pod 4 at the CC site.
- The supply needed is related to a procedural task for patient care.
Exclusion Criteria:
- The nurse is working at LVH-M or LVH-17.
- The nurse being observed is working in the express care area or trauma bay.
- The supply being obtained is a supply that is not maintained in the cart (Appendix
2).
- The nurse is scheduled for a shift less than 8 hours.
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