Staffing in a Level 1 Trauma Center: Quantifying Capacity for Preparedness

Area of Science:

• Trauma Care
• Hospital Operations
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Severe trauma patient care involves a complex network of healthcare professionals.
• Understanding the scope of personnel involved is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the number and types of hospital personnel involved in the care of severe trauma patients.
• To delineate the roles and timing of involvement for staff attending to trauma admissions.

Main Methods:

• A prospective observational study recorded all hospital personnel involved in 24 adult Priority 1 trauma admissions.
• Personnel were tracked for 12 hours or until patient demise, categorized by professional background and role.
• Data collection included direct vs. indirect care roles and location of initial involvement.

Main Results:

• An average of 79.7 hospital personnel were involved per trauma admission.
• Over 50% of personnel engaged within the first hour of admission.
• Significantly more personnel were involved in direct care (median 54.5) versus indirect care (median 25.0).
• A median of 74.5 healthcare professionals and 6.0 auxiliary staff were involved.
• Initial involvement was more frequent in locations external to the emergency department (median 53.0) compared to internal (median 27.5).

Conclusions:

• Severe trauma patient care necessitates a large, multidisciplinary team with diverse responsibilities.
• These findings can inform hospital staffing models and enhance disaster preparedness strategies.
• Optimizing team coordination and resource deployment is essential for effective trauma response.