The introduction of ratios at Liverpool Hospital Emergency Department will particularly benefit acute area night shifts and resuscitation bays.

The introduction of ratios is an important union achievement that will make a  “significant  difference” to patients and staff, says Liverpool Hospital ED nurse Simon Quinn.

Simon is an NSWNMA delegate and president of the union’s Liverpool Hospital branch.

Shift by shift ratios of 1:1 in resuscitation bays, and 1:3 in acute areas, are about to be introduced at Royal North Shore and Liverpool EDs.

At Liverpool, current ratios in acute areas of the ED are 1:3 on morning and afternoon shifts, and 1:4 on night shifts. In resus, the current ratio is 4:5.

Once ratios are in place, acute area staffing will increase to 1:3 on nights and 5:5 in resus on all shifts.

“Night shifts can be just as hectic as day shifts, and having extra nurses at night will make an enormous difference,” Simon said.

“People don’t wait until morning to have a heart attack or a stroke, and the extra staff at night will make our workload more manageable.

“Ratios will make a significant difference in resus where, with the current ratio of 4:5, it can sometimes be challenging to manage the workload when two or more patients arrive back-to-back.”

Simon said, “As a Level 6 ED, we receive the most critically unwell patients, and there are times when we have to temporarily pull people from other areas of the ED in order to manage the workload. A 1:1 ratio in resus will go a long way to addressing this.

“With our current resus capacity, we sometimes have to step a patient down into the acute area before we’d ideally want to, in order to accommodate another patient coming in.

“However, it is anticipated that the number of resus beds will increase at Liverpool when our new department opens in October. This, along with the incoming 1:1 ratio, will make us much better equipped to serve our most critically unwell patients.”

AN EXCITING TIME

Simon added that ratios will benefit patients, staff and the entire health system.

“Ratios are a win for patients, a win for nurses, and a win for the health system. They will make our hospitals safer and strengthen our ability to deliver timely, person-centred and holistic care.

“Ratios will benefit nurses by reducing our workload; this will go some way to addressing the high levels of stress and burnout that our profession has grappled with for decades, and in turn this will aid in staff retention.

“Finally,” he said, “ratios will be a net benefit for the health system as a whole.

“More staff will obviously cost the system more money, but I expect some of that will be recouped as a result of their introduction.

“For example, more staff will allow us to deliver more timely care, and I expect there will be a decrease in the number of adverse outcomes related to treatment delays, which can result in prolonged and costly hospital stays.”

Simon said every area of Liverpool Hospital needs ratios.

“My colleagues in every area of the hospital are in need of ratios just as much as we are in ED.

“The recruitment of new staff is already underway, and this is an exciting time for us and the system as a whole.

“We haven’t been given an exact timeline for the introduction of ratios into other areas of the hospital yet, but I’m hopeful announcements in relation to this will be made soon.”■