Emergency Department Nurse Staffing

Policy Statements

Good Samaritan Protection [Ann Emerg Med. 2006;47:304.] Adequate legal protection must be accorded to physicians, nurses, paramedical personnel, and well-intentioned citizens rendering bystander medical aid. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) supports good samaritan protection legislation designed to reduce liability exposure for these individuals. ACEP also supports the extension of existing good samaritan legislation to provide protection from liability for emergency physicians who respond to in-hospital emergencies outside of the emergency department. Reaffirmed by the ACEP Board of Directors September 2005. This policy statement was originally approved as Council Resolution CR029 in September 1978 and was approved as a policy statement in September 1999. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2005.11.004

Injury Control/Trauma Data Banks [Ann Emerg Med. 2006;47:304.] ACEP supports focused and proven injury control efforts based on national and geographic specific data. Data from each of the integrated components of prevention, acute care and rehabilitation are essential to identify emerging problems, allocate resources and develop effective interventions. ACEP supports efforts by appropriate organizations and agencies to develop and implement population-based data systems that describe the nature and scope of the injury problem, including information on high-risk groups. These data systems must provide the necessary information for the widespread development, implementation, and evaluation of effective injury control strategies. Collaborative efforts and public-private partnerships are crucial. Leadership among all physicians providing trauma care is essential for development and implementation of useful injury control/trauma data banks. Reaffirmed by the ACEP Board of Directors September 2005. This policy statement was originally approved by the ACEP Board of Directors September 1999 doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2005.11.005

Academic Departments of Emergency Medicine in Medical Schools [Ann Emerg Med. 2006;47:304.] The American College of Emergency Physicians believes each medical school should include an academic department of emergency medicine that will be responsible for educational 304 Annals of Emergency Medicine

programs in emergency medicine and that will be free-standing and equal in status to the other specialties of medicine. Reaffirmed by the ACEP Board of Directors September 2005. This policy statement was originally approved as Board Motion BM 005 in November 1974 and was approved as a policy statement in March 1999. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2005.11.007

Compensation When Services are Mandated [Ann Emerg Med. 2006;47:304.] Any government agency, legislative body, insurance carrier, third party payer, or any other entity that mandates that a service or product be provided by emergency physicians or other providers, should also mandate an adequate source of funding to ensure appropriate compensation for those services or products. Reaffirmed by the ACEP Board of Directors September 2005. This policy statement was originally approved as Council Resolution CR011 in September 1992 and was approved as a policy statement in June 1999. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2005.11.008

Emergency Department Nurse Staffing [Ann Emerg Med. 2006;47:304.] The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) supports emergency department nurse staffing systems that provide adequate numbers of registered nurses who are trained and experienced in the practice of emergency nursing.1 Reaffirmed by the ACEP Board of Directors September 2005. This policy statement was originally approved as a Board Motion titled, “Nursing Shortage” in June 1988 and was approved as a policy statement in June 1999. doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2005.11.009

REFERENCE 1. American College of Emergency Physicians: Emergency Care Guidelines. Ann Emerg Med 1997;29:564-571.

Emergency Physicians’ Patient Care Responsibilities Outside the Emergency Department [Ann Emerg Med. 2006;47:304-305.] The emergency physician’s principal legal and ethical responsibility is to patients who present to be seen and treated in the emergency department. The American College of Emergency Physicians believes that: Volume , .  : March 