Dayton Children’s Soin Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton Children’s Soin Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center is a 50-bed pediatric emergency department that cares for approximately 80,000 patients annually. It is part of Dayton Children’s Hospital, a three-time Magnet designated hospital and a Level I pediatric trauma center. The ED also received the Women’s Choice Award for Best Children’s Hospital for Emergency Care for the past five years.

The emergency department team continually focuses on evidence-based initiatives to improve patient outcomes. One important initiative is expediating care needed for high-risk patients to decrease the time from arrival to antibiotic administration. High-risk patients are those with sickle cell disease, hematology diagnoses, neonatal fevers and open long-bone fractures. These patients are immediately triaged to a critical care room with a rapid response page.

The ED prioritizes care and safety for staff. Since ED staff are at high risk for being threatened or exposed to workplace violence, the staff implemented a patient aggression risk screen to identify patients with potential aggressive behavior. Staff members have a variety of resources to manage stress, including emotional debriefings, access to a staff support clinician, ED-based peer supporters, and a small quiet space – the “Zen Den” – where staff can decompress when needed.