Productive ED - a nurse leader perspective

Waikato DHB's Emergency Department is a demanding unit on its way to becoming a 'well organised Emergency Department'.

New productive Emergency Department project manager Anne Koppens said "Productive ED is a great way to engage staff by organising work areas to reduce the barriers that prevent staff from working effectively and efficiently. This contributes to an enhanced work environment and improving the patient journey through ED".

"Productive ED is about making our services more efficient, in order to release time for staff to engage in tasks that are more patient focused. The project is about getting the staff to identify areas that could be improved and then come up with ideas as to how this could be achieved", says Anne.

Within the last few weeks ED have been able to get patient records better organised - they have arranged a card system to be placed in the notes box so if a chart is removed a person looking for those notes can readily identify who has them. A peg system to be attached to the chart if a new treatment is ordered to indicate at a glance that the nurse needs to intervene. It’s simple and it seems to be working.

Staff frustration has been reduced and there is no more hunting for patients notes. They have Dr Seuss in the department reminding staff to replace the notes. All in all it has been a small change which has a colossal impact.

As a result of Productive ED, we will see an improvement in the quality of care provided to the patients attending the Emergency Department. For staff there will be the chance to implement their ideas and see improvements, as well as transform the department into an improved working environment.

Productive ED is part of the patient safety programme.

About Anne Koppens:

Anne has worked in ED for 25 years, with a decade as clinical nurse manager and assistant clinical nurse manager.

She is passionate about making a difference to both patients and staff, with her 'claim to fame' being the Cellulitis Outpatient Treatment project.

Anne believes that Productive ED is a way of engage with staff, improve working conditions and improve patient safety and flow.