I was very happy to see that this issue has been brought to the attention of the public. It is not a new phenomenon, but has worsened over the 25 years I spent as an RN in Emergency Medicine. Patients awaiting long-term placement are only part of the problem. The other issue is the ongoing, and now critical, nursing shortage. You can only admit as many patients as you have nurses to care for them. I personally know of multiple times that we had to board patients in the ED because of a nursing shortage, not a bed shortage.
Understand that on most occasions, the ED is not given more resources to deal with boarding patients. They are expected to care for the boarders, and any new ED patients that come through the doors. Unfortunately, this is an undue burden on ED personnel. They cannot say “NO, we are at capacity.” They must take any and all comers. The result is that boarders do not always get the attention they deserve. Not because of any fault of the ED staff, but because they must care for the sickest first, and that could mean that the patient waiting for a bed on the floor gets less than optimal care.
This takes its toll on patients and staff. I saw so many nurses leave Emergency Medicine because it was crushing their souls. They felt they were failing their patients and themselves.
We need to make every effort to get as many people who are interested into the profession. To do that, we need more instructors. We need to make the process of obtaining the needed education for nurses and instructors affordable. We cannot afford to sit on our hands any longer, because the price will be paid in poor outcomes, and more nurses leaving the profession.
Sydnee E Boucher, RN
Worcester