Building a Psychiatric Boarding Toolkit: An Emergency Nursing Perspective on a Collaborative Approach to Care.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Nursing

Background:

• Psychiatric patient boarding in US emergency departments (EDs) presents significant challenges for patients and staff.
• Current ED triage, primarily a nursing function, may need an interdisciplinary model for behavioral health (BH) patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore emergency nurses' perspectives on improving care for boarding BH patients.
• To inform the development of a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to BH patient care in the ED.

Main Methods:

• A guided discussion was conducted with emergency nurses and physicians.
• Content analysis was used to analyze data and formulate recommendations for BH patient care.

Main Results:

• Nurses identified critical points for care pathway improvements for boarding BH patients.
• Enhanced education and cultural shifts are needed for both physicians and nurses regarding BH assessments and care.

Conclusions:

• Emergency nurses advocate for standardized BH care protocols within EDs.
• An interdisciplinary approach, including nurses from the initial encounter, can lead to improved care for boarding BH patients.