Abstract
Short stay units (SSUs), also known as chest pain units or observation units, are necessary to avoid inappropriate inpatient admissions, emergency department discharges, or lengthy ED work-up. SSUs are ideal for patients who are not able to be safely discharged from the emergency department and require additional diagnostic tests or therapies but will likely not need to remain in the hospital past two midnights. Highly efficient SSUs are located within or adjacent to the main ED, are administratively run by emergency medicine physicians, and use protocols for patient care. Moderate and large sized SSUs should consider staffing with advanced practice providers. The unit should have enough nurses to provide for a 4:1 or 5:1 nurse-to-patient ratio. Finally, there should be clear medical and nursing leadership to provide oversight and monitor utilization and quality data.
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Wheatley, M. (2022). Short Stay Unit Requirements. In: Pena, M., Osborne, A., Peacock, W.F. (eds) Short Stay Management of Chest Pain. Contemporary Cardiology. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05520-1_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05520-1_12
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