The Protocol Nurse

So our dept has been slammed lately. We've had so many admit holds, the waiting room has had an avg of 4.5 hour wait times. So we implemented the protocol nurse. And I think it's amazing.

Basically, we have a nurse to pull people from the waiting room, place an IV, and put in any protocol orders we deem necessary. Chest pain x2 days? CK, troponin, CBC, chem basic, chest xray. Elevated blood sugar? Chemistry, urine. Rule out DVT? PT/INR and ultra sound. Anything were unsure of, we ask an attending to peek in, and they can point us in the right direction. 

So imagine you're the patient, you've been in the waiting room for 3 hours. But your labs have been drawn. You got an EKG. You got an x-ray. Even though you're in the waiting room, you're having tests completed, and you don't feel as though you're forgotten. By the time you FINALLY see a doctor, they are able to see all the results of your testing and are able to provide treatment and a probable disposition pretty much as soon as you get in the room.

Now imagine you're a nurse. You just discharged 2 of your patients, so you know you're going to get two fresh from the waiting room. But they both already have their IVs in and their labs drawn. Suddenly, your work is cut in half! You pop in, say hello, write a quick note, then wait for the doctors orders.

I think this new protocol nurse is amazing. I've done the job- and its super boring. I probably placed 20-30 IVs today. But the patients feel like they're moving through the system instead of just sitting and twiddling their thumbs. Being on the receiving end is wonderful, getting a patient with most of the busy work completed so I can focus on what comes next is a HUGE help! I hope we keep this practice going.

TL;DR: Protocol nurse: patients feel loved, nurses love it!

-K