Mount Nittany Medical Center Emergency Department

State College, Pennsylvania

Mount Nittany Medical Center’s ED-specific orientation program is designed to provide a structured yet individualized transition to emergency nursing practice. Nurses are enrolled in a year-long, three-phased emergency nurse residency program, which integrates didactic education, hands-on skills and simulation. Orientation, mentoring and integration phases comprise the program, while the mentoring phase progresses in a structured design to build skills and confidence. Mentors facilitate skill development, critical thinking and reflective practice while fostering a culture of support, teamwork and continuous learning within the 61-bed emergency department.

The ED team also improved throughput using a project implementing several evidence-based practices. This included redesigning the front-end process to include a rapid assessment nurse at the greeter desk to direct bed high acuity patients, revised protocol orders, creation of a vertical pod and assigning providers to designated pods.

A throughput team including nursing staff, department leadership, providers and registration staff collaborated to improve throughput triage processes, standardize nursing assignment protocols and enhance communication during high volume hours. These changes improved patient experience by decreasing wait times and increasing timely clinical assessment, as well as significantly improving communication among staff and providers.