The Impact of Emergency Department Overcrowding: Effect on Nursing Professional Practice and Patient Care (Essay Sample)

The Impact of Emergency Department Overcrowding: Effect on Nursing Professional Practice and Patient Care
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The Impact of Emergency Department Overcrowding: Effect on Nursing Professional Practice and Patient Care
Several hospitals worldwide experience overcrowding at their emergency departments (ED). The main contributor to ED overcrowding is increasing critically ill patients and the number of people seeking emergency medical care (Trzeciak, 2005). There is no universally accepted definition of ED overcrowding. However, scholars opine that the phenomenon refers “to an extreme volume of patients in ED treatment areas, forcing the ED to operate beyond its capacity” (Trzeciak, 2005, p. 291). Previous research has indicated that more than 90 percent of healthcare facilities in the United States experience overcrowding daily (Trzeciak, 2005). The evidence shows that ED overcrowding is an acute problem that negatively impacts professional nursing practice and patient care.