The Family and Patient Advisory Council at Sudbury's Health Sciences North have suggested a novel idea toward improving the patient experience in their emergency room. They've likened the idea to having "Wal-Mart greeters" in their emergency room. A staff member from Health Sciences explains the idea for the new role:
“It would be someone who would talk to you and say 'Can I get you a glass of water?' or 'You're cold. Can I get you a blanket? or 'Your situation seems to have worsened. Let me get the nurse, and she'll come and check you.' â€
The Patients' Association has found that a lot of negative patient experience in emergency rooms of hospitals stems directly from the long, anxious wait. Having a health care employee to overlook patients and family members who are waiting would certainly make for a better experience. Read more about the initiative in this northernlife.ca article.