How do intoxicated patients impact staff in the emergency department? An exploratory study.

Aim: To investigate staff perceptions of the burden of alcohol-related presentations on emergency departments (ED) in New Zealand and the impact on staff of alcohol-related ED presentations.

Methods: A survey of Wellington Regional Hospital ED staff was conducted using a written questionnaire to measure the impact of alcohol on: staff assault rates, perceived workload, quality of care, and staff mood. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six ED staff to further explore impacts of alcohol on ED, analysed using thematic analysis.