Relieves pressure from Emergency Department during busy flu season
Sheila Cannon, a 68-year-old patient with diabetes, was admitted to the JGH Emergency Department in early December suffering from high blood sugar. After being treated overnight, she was pleased when a doctor signed her discharge papers to go home.
The news for Ms. Cannon then got even better: Instead of waiting in the crowded ED for a ride, she was wheeled upstairs to the JGH’s new Discharge Lounge—a bright and airy space next to the hospital’s Légaré Street entrance, where she could sit in a comfortable chair under staff supervision, watching people come and go.
“It’s much nicer here, and I can see life go by,” said Ms. Cannon, who lives in a care residence in Saint-Laurent.
Ms. Cannon’s transfer from the ED to the Discharge Lounge accomplished two goals: It made her last moments at the JGH pleasant and relaxed. And by leaving the ED a little earlier, she freed up a hospital bed, making care accessible to the next patient a little sooner.
“A patient in the Discharge Lounge creates a domino effect,” says Kim Gartshore, Coordinator of the Command Centre, Virtual Care and Alternatives to Hospitalization.
“Every minute saved means that another resource is available for a patient down the line.”
Kim Gartshore, Coordinator of the Command Centre
The Discharge Lounge was launched for all JGH units in early November in anticipation of the flu season, which causes a spike in demand each year in the ED. The benefits are already being felt.
By welcoming medically stable patients who are ready to go home, the lounge has relieved some pressure from the ED, says Victor Uscatescu, the ED’s Assistant Head Nurse.
“Having the option to send discharged patients to the Discharge Lounge has significantly helped with flow in the ED by freeing up treatment rooms for incoming patients,” Mr. Uscatescu says. “This has been especially valuable during periods of sustained overcapacity.”
What’s more, patients in the Discharge Lounge are supervised by a Patient Care Attendant and Licensed Practical Nurse, who monitor patients’ health, go over instructions for their medication, offer help going to the washroom and provide snacks, juice and water.
“We feel more secure knowing our discharged patients are being supervised while they wait for transportation, which improves both safety and the patient experience,” Mr. Uscatescu says.
“This has been a great initiative, and we see clear benefits for both patients and staff in the ED.”
Victor Uscatescu, Assistant Head Nurse, Emergency Department
The lounge project was the initiative of Kelly Turgeon, a Clinical Nurse and Senior Advisor in the C4 Command Centre. She worked hand in hand with the Department of Nursing to ensure that the process of transferring patients to the lounge was done securely and seamlessly—and without adding to the workload of nurses on the units.
Unit nurses identify suitable candidates and call the lounge’s Patient Care Attendant, who takes care of transportation to the lounge. Lounge staff also proactively tour JGH units and coordinate with nurses to identify patients who would benefit from a transfer to the lounge.
“In the end, everything is for the patient,” says Ms. Turgeon. “A hospital stay can already be a stressful time, and this allows us to focus on the human side of their stay.
“We want to make sure we’re welcoming, even when people are leaving.”
Kelly Turgeon, Senior Advisor in the Command Centre
Patients remain an average of 50 minutes in the lounge while they wait to be picked up, whether it’s by a family member, adapted transit or other means. Most are patients from the ED, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. In a satisfaction survey of 14 patients, respondents rated their lounge experience an outstanding 9.8 out of 10.
The results illustrate how the lounge fits into our CIUSSS’s vision of Care Everywhere, in which staff strives to achieve the right outcomes by providing the right care at the right time in the location that is the safest, most appropriate and most convenient for patients.
“We can offer them a gentle transition that focuses on an exceptional patient experience, which is what we do in all our decisions,” says André Poitras, Associate Director of Nursing.
He describes it as “closing the loop” on patient care.
“If a person is stable and no longer needs our medical services, why have them wait in an emergency room when they can come to a more pleasant environment—with staff that’s there to respond to their needs?” he asks.
The Discharge Lounge, open Monday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., is located temporarily in the Agora of Pavilion K. It will eventually move to a dedicated space in the former Second Cup in Pavilion E, right next to the sliding doors off Légaré Street.
