{"id":8323,"date":"2024-08-14T13:45:06","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T16:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/?p=8323"},"modified":"2024-08-14T13:45:08","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T16:45:08","slug":"rapid-assessment-zone-raz-at-aberdeen-hospital-is-reducing-patient-wait-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/2024\/08\/14\/rapid-assessment-zone-raz-at-aberdeen-hospital-is-reducing-patient-wait-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ) at Aberdeen Hospital is reducing patient wait times."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ) at Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow is reducing patient wait times and improving emergency department (ED) flow. Stacy MacDonald, the emergency department\u2019s first nurse practitioner, leads this initiative.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MacDonald’s expertise and 27 years of emergency and transport nursing experience are pivotal to the success of the RAZ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing to see the huge decrease in the number of patients who leave without being seen. This means patients get the care they need faster and allows me to diagnose serious conditions that may otherwise have gone undetected,\u201d said MacDonald.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the RAZ\u2019s launch in May, 31 per cent of emergency patients use this pathway on days the RAZ is open, with an average of 2.5 patients seen per hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The RAZ operates as a designated area within the emergency department for patients with less critical conditions, allowing physicians to focus on more severely ill patients. MacDonald\u2019s role in the RAZ is multifaceted; she performs a variety of procedures, including casting and suturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continuity of care is another significant benefit of the RAZ. \u201cI can bring patients back in a couple of days for a re-check. This is the same for ED physicians; if they see a patient who needs a follow-up, they send them to me in a few days for a reassessment. This is planned, so they don\u2019t have to wait again,\u201d said MacDonald. She also coordinates with the Ambulatory Treatment Clinic (ATC) upstairs for ED patients needing IV antibiotics and wound care. \u201cInstead of having them re-register, move floors and wait again, I coordinate with the ATC group. This not only improves their care and healing but also reduces repeat visits,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living in Pictou, MacDonald feels a strong connection to the community and is committed to addressing local healthcare needs. \u201cWe don\u2019t have as many walk-in clinics, and many patients don\u2019t have a primary care provider. The RAZ helps bridge that gap,\u201d she said. \u201cThe community is happy because they’re able to see a provider. We often hear that they are loving the way things flow now, and they feel wait times are much better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collaboration is key to the success of the RAZ. She works closely with licensed practical nurse Candace Brown to ensure a smooth flow of patients. “Candace and I work as a team. We both don\u2019t like to sit still and love the fast pace,” said MacDonald.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MacDonald\u2019s integration into the team has been smooth, thanks to strong support from physicians and leadership. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for the continuous support and the \u2018What do you need?\u2019 mentality from our leadership,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is where I\u2019m meant to be and am grateful for this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lisa MacDonald is Chair of the Aberdeen Health Foundation, which provided funding for the setup of the dedicated space and equipment for the RAZ. \u201cThe RAZ represents a true enhancement to patient care in Pictou County and fits the bill for the types of initiatives the Aberdeen Health Foundation is keen to get behind,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly pleasing to see an investment have an instant positive impact on patient access in the ED, and we imagine this boosts staff morale too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The site looks forward to continued improvements and the positive impact on the community. \u201cWe\u2019re already seeing great results, and plans are underway to expand to a seven-day-a-week model,\u201d said Jennifer Sutherland, site lead, Aberdeen Hospital. \u201cI\u2019m proud of the teamwork among our staff and physicians, and the positive feedback from the community truly reflects their efforts and dedication. A heartfelt thank you to the Aberdeen Health Foundation for making this important space possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the Emergency Care Plan announced in January 2023, the Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ) model has been implemented in six emergency departments across the province, transforming the delivery of emergency care in Nova Scotia. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source : NSHA Release <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ) at Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow is reducing patient wait times and improving emergency department<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,10,11,12,13,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-general","category-health","category-latest","category-news","category-top-videos"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8323"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8324,"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8323\/revisions\/8324"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnpress.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}