Can education and staff-based participatory research change nursing practice in an era of ED overcrowding? A focus group study.

Introduction: In our facility an operational process intervention was implemented to decrease overcrowding. The intervention consisted of implementing criteria (developed from a series of 8 interactive workshops led by the investigators with all charge and staff nurses) describing when we should "close the waiting room." The purpose of this study was to explore the charge nurses' perceptions of the intervention and their experiences with implementation several months after the operational change began.

Should you close your waiting room? Addressing ED overcrowding through education and staff-based participatory research.

Introduction: The purpose of this project was to develop operational criteria to "close the ED waiting room".

Methods: A prospective, staff-based participatory research model was used. Nurses at an urban ED with 70,000 visits attended a four-hour workshop concerning ED overcrowding.