See It Sooner: Standardized ED Waiting Room Reassessment

Publication Date

2026

Presentation Length

Poster/Gallery presentation

College

Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing

Department

Nursing, School of

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Linda Wofford, CPNP, DNP, RN

Presentation Type

Poster

Summary

Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding increases the time patients wait for evaluation and treatment, creating safety risks when clinical status changes are not identified properly. In addition to current waiting room reassessment policies, this project proposes a tiered reassessment frequency based on a patient’s Emergency Severity Index (ESI) score so patients with lower ESI scores receive more frequent reassessment to improve monitoring and support earlier identification of clinical deterioration. While the current ED reassessment policy relies on fixed time intervals after triage, predictive monitoring using real-time data identifies patients at risk, allows earlier intervention, and improves patient outcomes (Ravid et al., 2025). This eight-week pilot will introduce a structured reassessment tool displayed at the waiting room monitor nurse’s desk to guide reassessment timing. During week one, nursing staff will complete a learning management system module with opportunities to ask questions during pre-shift huddles. Weeks two through seven will implement the tool and staff evaluation supported by anonymous feedback through a REDCap survey. During week eight, the pilot will be evaluated. Desired outcomes include earlier identification of clinical deterioration with more consistent reassessment of waiting room patients. Outcomes will be measured by waiting room adverse events, reassessments completed within recommended time intervals, and staff perception of workflow efficiency. If successful, the intervention may expand to include visual indicators, reassessment alerts, and an escalation pathway to strengthen patient safety and ED workflow.

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