MISSOULA — When a patient comes into the emergency room and needs more testing done the new Clinical Decision Unit at Providence St. Patrick Hospital offers medical professionals a space to do so.
"Maybe what they need done can’t be in a short period of time in the ED so we move them over to this area so we can do more clinical decision, rapid interventions more diagnostics," Providence St. Patrick Hospital Chief Nursing Officer MSN RN CENP Carol Bensen said.
There are 10 beds in the new CDU unit which means there are more openings in the Emergency Department.
"Instead of keeping and emergency department bed filled for 10 or 12 hours. When that happens someone in the waiting room cant get into that bed. And so we are able to get that person over here and that opens up the emergency department to have better through put and have patients seen more frequently," Bensen added.
The CDU also has state of the art technology that gives staff the right tools for the job, especially when it's not immediately apparent what's wrong with a patient who is seeking emergency medical help.
"It really creates an environment that has the right kind of clinical diagnostic tools even right down to the portable cardiac monitors and blood pressure monitors and we can walk with the patient with that small piece of equipment," Bensen said.
The new CDU will be available to Providence St. Patrick Hospital starting on Monday, Oct. 5. The nurse team that will staff the unit has already completed orientation and is ready to go.
The Clinical Decision Unit is part of Providence St. Patrick Hospital's 10-year growth plan.
