Table 1 Overview of study sites
Site Characteristic (based on 2011) | Hospital A South Australia | Hospital B Queensland | Hospital C Queensland | Hospital D South Australia | Hospital E Middle Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population served | Children | Children | Children and adults | Children and adults | Children and adults |
Hospital type | Public, teaching, tertiary | Public, teaching, metropolitan | Public, teaching, regional | Public, teaching, metropolitan | Public, teaching, metropolitan |
Annual ED presentations | 44,000 | 29,000 | 65,000 | 50,000 | 60,000 |
Admission rate | 27% | 22% | 25% | 31% | 33% |
% Children (<18 years) | 100% | 100% | 20% | 25% | 23% |
Staffing profile: | |||||
No. FTE Nurses (all types) | 80 | 42 | 120 | 110 | 109 |
No. FTE Medical (all types) | 28 | 26 | 73 | 75 | 70 |
Observation ward / Short Stay Unit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Observation ward / Short Stay Unit caters for children | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Fast track | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Nurse Practitioners | NP (in training) | No | Yes | Yes | Noa |