Nurses treating patients in the emergency department? A patient survey

Abstract

Background: Hong Kong residents are familiar with prolonged waiting times in emergency departments (ED), particularly with semi-urgent or non-urgent conditions. In the United Kingdom and Australasia, extended nurse practitioners are well established. The aim of this study was to identify whether Hong Kong patients would prefer treatment by ED nurses or traditional care by doctors under various waiting time conditions. Methods: This was a prospective questionnaire study of patients who had been triaged into category 4 (semi-urgent) or 5 (non-urgent) during office hours from 20 to 27 June 2005. Following verbal consent, three waiting time scenarios were considered by the patient using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis used the chi square test. Results: Overall, 253 patients were approached and 249 patients [119 (47.8%) male; mean age 48 (SD 19.4) years] verbally agreed to participate (98.4%). Patients were classified into three age groups. When the waiting time for nurse treatment was four hours shorter than doctors, patients aged 15-30 and 31-64 years more often chose nurses (overall 59.3%) for treatment but those aged ≥65 years preferred doctors to nurses (58.1% in favour of doctors), despite the longer waiting time (p=0.013, chi square test). Men also preferred nursing treatment compared to women (p<0.001). When the waiting time for doctors was 4 hours shorter than nurses or the same, 99.2% and 95.5% chose doctors respectively. Conclusion: When the waiting times are long, Hong Kong patients <65 years would prefer to see suitably trained nurses in preference to doctors. Consideration should be given to providing training for senior nurses to have an extended role in Hong Kong Eds.