The 24-7 service is being piloted at Horizon’s hospitals in Fredericton, Miramichi, Moncton, Saint John and Waterville. The role is filled by a LPN, a personal care attendant with specialized training or a nursing student. After introducing themselves to those waiting to be triaged and seen in the ED, they can:
- Check vital signs;
- Ensure patients are comfortable i.e., offer a blanket or water;
- Report any concerns to the triage nurse or ED staff; and
- Monitor the well-being of others in the ED.
Staff and physicians are monitoring the outcomes of the program and hope to extend it to other EDs. The pilot project comes after a patient died in the waiting room at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital and another died in the emergency waiting room at Vitalité's Edmundston Regional Hospital.
Related:
Nouveau programme : Un coup de main pour veiller à la sécurité de tous dans nos services d’urgence - Réseau de santé Horizon
Pilot project launched in N.B. hospitals following emergency room death - CTV News