Multiple expanded roles for nurses in urban emergency rooms. 'Emergency room nurse-practitioner'

The increasing number of patients seeking general medical care in the emergency rooms of urban teaching hospitals creates substantial volume loads, especially in triage and in delivery of primary care. Interns perform these tasks unethusiastically and inefficiently, session physicians indifferently. Selected experienced nurses, after brief but intensive and targeted training, can successfully assume these full responsibilities with a high degree of job satisfaction.