Emergency departments (EDs) often experience reduced patient flow, which results in low capacity, increased congestion and delays in patient care. Advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) possess the skills required to relieve these pressures and enhance care delivery. This article describes how introducing ANP-led rapid assessment triage in an ED has enabled these practitioners to use advanced practice skills in assessment and intervention, and to request early diagnostic processes to improve patient flow. The system enables the ANPs to identify high-acuity patients who can be cared for in the ED without the need for admission, while ensuring their safety, rapid assessment and timely interventions.
Emergency Nurse. doi: 10.7748/en.2017.e1614
Correspondence Peer reviewThis article has been subject to double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software
Received: 23 June 2016
Accepted: 10 October 2016
Published online: 15 January 2017
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