You can reduce your patient wait times to virtually zero with a lot of hard work, but you can't do it alone. It takes a combination of effective ED strategies and the cooperation of the other hospital departments. Create guidelines that cover the care the nurses can provide if the patient cannot see a physician right away. Establish a transitional unit outside of the ED but directed and managed by the ED manager. Urge the creation of and participation in a multi-discipline performance improvement team.
