Adding a nurse practitioner to a busy hospital staff can reduce unnecessary emergency department visits, according to a study conducted by researchers at Loyal University Health System and published in the latest issue of Surgery.
Researchers found that adding the extra nurse practitioner reduced emergency department visits by improving continuity of care and fixing problems more quickly for patients. The addition of the nurse practitioner also improved the emergency department's use of resources and assisted in cutting costs.
The study evaluated the addition of a nurse practitioner to a department with three surgeons. Patient records were analyzed one year before and one year after the nurse joined the staff, and the researchers tracked unnecessary readmissions.
The study found that additional services from the nurse practitioner resulted in significantly fewer unnecessary emergency department visits (25 percent versus 13 percent).
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Researchers found that adding the extra nurse practitioner reduced emergency department visits by improving continuity of care and fixing problems more quickly for patients. The addition of the nurse practitioner also improved the emergency department's use of resources and assisted in cutting costs.
The study evaluated the addition of a nurse practitioner to a department with three surgeons. Patient records were analyzed one year before and one year after the nurse joined the staff, and the researchers tracked unnecessary readmissions.
The study found that additional services from the nurse practitioner resulted in significantly fewer unnecessary emergency department visits (25 percent versus 13 percent).
Related Articles on Nurses:
6 Ways to Improve ASC Efficiency Without Jeopardizing Quality
How to Recruit and Retain Top-Quality Nurses
10 Essentials for an Infection Control Program at Spine Centers
