Preview

Hospital and Emergency Medical Treatment

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
802 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Hospital and Emergency Medical Treatment
In 1986 congress enacted the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) as a result of clients being transferred from private hospitals to public hospitals without appropriate screening and stabilization (Potter & Perry, 2009). This act states that most hospitals must provide an examination and needed stabilizing treatment, without consideration of insurance coverage or ability to pay, when a patient presents to an emergency room for attention to an emergency medical condition (www.emtala.com). This act can be applied to nursing in that most patients who enter an emergency department are often triaged by a nurse first. It is that nurse’s obligation to provide a basic assessment and notify a physician if the patient needs to be treated immediately or not. Another example of this is perinatal nursing. The perinatal nurse plays a key role in obstetrical triage and discharge; in some hospitals nurses conduct medical screening examinations in the absence of direct evaluation by a physician, consistent with federal regulations as per the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Mother and baby should be stable for discharge as per EMTALA criteria. A thorough evaluation to rule out labor and potential complications as well as to confirm maternal-fetal well-being is critical prior to discharge (The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing). Here is an example of EMTALA. A client comes to the emergency department of a private hospital after falling from a tree picking apples in the fields. He is transported via ambulance and arrives with an obviously broken leg. The patient was transferred to this hospital because it was only ten minutes away from the accident scene. The triage nurse does a quick assessment on the patient on and determines that he needs to see orthopedics to have surgery on his leg. Upon getting the patients information, she realizes that this patient is an illegal immigrant and has no health insurance. She notifies the


References: Potter, P. A., & Perry, A. G. (2009). Fundamentals of Nursing 7th Edition. St. Louis, Missouri, United State of America: MOSBY Elsevier MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, Obstetrical Triage: Stable for Discharge, Issue: Volume 34(4), July/August 2009, p 268 DOI: 10.1097/01.NMC.0000357931.30798.74 www.emtala.com Number Uninsured and Uninsured Rate: 1987 to 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/data/incpovhlth/2009/fig07.pdf
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    EMTALA Case Summary
    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages

    EMTALA Case Summary

    definition the patient did not appear to be in active labor as she delivered 4 days after the initial evaluation. The patient was sent home and returned to Memorial Hospital where she delivered. Based on these findings the defense argument, that the patient was not transferred to another facility nor did they attempt to transferred the patient to another facility does hold some credence. According to Zibulewsky, (2001)The initial intent of EMTALA was to ensure nondiscriminatory access to emergency medical care. The mere fact that the physician recommended follow-up at an outside facility after adequately evaluated and treating the patient, would not be an EMTALA violation. However, refusing to see the patient back in the future when she was in active labor, clearly would be an EMTALA violation. Because of the distance to Galveston, it is unreasonable to assume that the patient could without exception make it to another facility for delivery. On reviewing the case and other associated evaluations performed by Memorial Hospital, it becomes clear that the hospital has established a pattern of not managing indigent patients and was involved in the practice of diverting them to other facilities. Based on these findings it appears that several infractions of the EMTALA have been committed by the facility. Whether the case in question falls strictly under these guidelines it is unclear. I believe part of the court's decision to find against the defendant was the result of the pattern of behavior that was established by the facility and the treating physician. Because there is clear violation of EMTALA, further action should be taken by the medical review board. The fines can include up to $50,000 against the hospital and physician for each violation as well as possible termination of the hospital and providers Medicare provider…

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Age-Related Changes that Occur in the Cardiovascular System
    • 1181 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Age-Related Changes that Occur in the Cardiovascular System

    Potter, P. S. (2012). Fundamentals of Nursing. St. Louis: Mosby an imprint by Elsevier Inc…

    • 1181 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Cobbs V. Grant Case Study
    • 366 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Cobbs V. Grant Case Study

    The theme of Module Five is that every patient has a right to receive emergency care and every patient has a right to informed consent. The emergency medical treatment and active labor act (EMTALA) requires hospital that receive Medicare payments to provide care to patients regardless of citizenship, ability to pay, or legal status. Hospitals with EDs that serve Medicare patients must abide by EMTALA, which is a statute that requires stabilization of any patient that presents to the emergency department. An emergency situation as we identified at class is either when the patient is dying, when a woman giving birth, or something about unnatural disability. It's easy for patients to feel powerless in these types of situations, as they present with an illness. That’s why hospital administrators and providers have the duty to give patients every angle of their medical situation. Patients must have all the information about their diagnosis and treatment…

    • 366 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    EMTALA And HIPAA Case Study
    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages

    EMTALA And HIPAA Case Study

    The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act was passed as a feature of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986. This federal law requires the stabilization and treatment of the patient who arrives at the emergency department, regardless of the individual’s insurance status or ability to pay for services. By law, public and private hospitals are forbidden to repudiate treatment of the patient in an emergency, transfer the patient to another hospital before he is stabilized, or stop treatment altogether because the patient cannot afford the cost of care (EMTALA). Transfers actually served as essential motivation for EMTALA. Studies conducted in the early 1980s revealed 250,000 transfers a year from private to public or Veteran Health Administration hospitals, and almost 90%…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Emtala Case Study
    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Emtala Case Study

    To discuss the scenario presented regarding EMTALA, I thought a definition of EMTALA would be a good starting point. According to Oachs and Watters, EMTALA is an acronym for the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, enacted in 1986 by congress as part of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), and is also known as the patient antidumping statute (Oachs and Watters, 2016). In our readings, it is discussed that the main reason for EMTALA, by Congress, was to ensure public access to emergency medical services regardless of ability to pay. Section 1867 of the Social Security Act imposes specific obligations on Medicare-participating hospitals that offer emergency services…

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Tummy-Ache Debate: Case Study
    • 1081 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Tummy-Ache Debate: Case Study

    In many hospitals and/or health care organizations today, persons coming into an emergency department will not be refused treatment. The statute which protects individuals requiring medical treatment from an emergency room will be provided care no matter their financial standing or if they have health care coverage is called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA, 2013). However, the scenario does not mention what department in the hospital the woman goes to. Therefore, if the woman was seen in the emergency room, then the nurse practitioner would have to perform treatment whether or not coverage was allowed under the managed…

    • 1081 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Nu 420 Effects Of Change On Nursing Practice Paper
    • 1345 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Nu 420 Effects Of Change On Nursing Practice Paper

    Elliott-Carter, N., & Harper, J. (2012). Keeping Mothers and Newborns Together After Cesarean. Nursing For Women’s Health, 16(4), 290-295. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-486X.2012.01747.x…

    • 1345 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Kodynamic Listening In Health Care
    • 1815 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Kodynamic Listening In Health Care

    J., Kozier, B., Erb, G., Levett-Jones, T., Dwyer, T. … Stanley, D. (2010). Kozier and Erd’s fundamentals of nursing (1st Australian ed.). Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson…

    • 1815 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Drexel Final Paper
    • 1516 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Drexel Final Paper

    Taylor, C. R., Lillis, C., LeMone, P., & Lynn, P. (Walters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins). Fundamentals of nursing: the art and science of nursing care. Philadelphia: 2011.…

    • 1516 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Observation Of Birthing Center
    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Observation Of Birthing Center

    The birthing center is a department that involves various different teams. There are the labor and delivery nurses, the postpartum nurses, and the NICU nurses. Alongside the nurses are the doctors which include the anesthesiologist and the OB GYN. In such a big department with various different roles, the communication and teaming skills are essential. The labor and delivery nurses must be in contact with the patient in order to give them their best treatment possible. They must communicate the the NICU if there is any complications that could lead to problems with the baby’s health. They should also keep the postpartum nurses uptodate with the mother’s health status. Specifically, the nurses have to communicate between the patient and the doctor in order to assure all the information if correct. For safety procedures, the nurses must gel in and gel out as well as wearing gloves. They must also make sure all the equipment in the room is clean and available incase of any emergencies. She will also make sure that each equipment if properly cleaned before and after each examination. Some diagnostic procedures I observed include temperature check, physical examination, and cervical dilation check. The nurses go into a patient’s room and tell them they will be checking for far they are into labor by doing a…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Nursing research.
    • 5090 Words
    • 16 Pages

    Nursing research.

    Dempsey, P.A. and Dempsey, A.D. (1996). Nursing Research: Text and workbook. 4th Edition. USA: Little, Brown & Co.…

    • 5090 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Midwife Vs Midwives
    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Midwife Vs Midwives

    Every year, more than three million infants are born in the United States. For the mother, one of the most important things is bringing the baby out from the womb safely into the world. The majority of women choose to birth their children in hospitals with doctors, mainly because it is believed that hospitals are the safest environment to birth a child. Others, decide to stick to what they consider a more natural option: at home births with midwives. Whatever the situation may be, the mothers have their child’s best interest at hand. The fact of the matter is, no matter how well one plans, and no matter how excellent a medical professional may be, sometimes complications are inevitable. Historically midwives did not have to be doctors, because…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Importance Of Denying Care To The Uninsured
    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Importance Of Denying Care To The Uninsured

    Hospitals are not obliged to provide treatments to the uninsured who do not have an emergency condition but responsible to the uninsured who presents at the emergency room to first and foremost screen the patient to ascertain if an emergency condition exists. Once the patient who has an emergency condition is admitted and stabilized the EMTALA duties end under the 2003 guidelines and as elucidated…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Emergency Room
    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Emergency Room

    For our first trip to the hospital I will be going to the emergency room otherwise known as the E.R. The emergency room is a hospital or primary care department that provides initial treatment to patients with a broad span of illnesses and injuries. In the ER there is a vast array of people caring for a patient including physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and surgeons. An abundant amount of tools are used in the emergency room. A stethoscope is a diagnostic tool that allows a nurse or physician to listen to heart and respiratory sounds. A cardiac monitor gives the visual display of the rhythm of a patient’s heart. The suture tray contains the sterile equipment to place stitches in a patient with a laceration. This tray consists of a needle holder, forceps, sterile towels, scissors, and small bowls. Some organizations that are associated with the ER are the Emergency Nursing Association (ENA), the International Association of Emergency Managers, and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA). I intend to see the variety of conditions that a physician sees. Some of the conditions that bring people to the emergency room are car accidents, sports injuries, broken bones and cuts from accidents or falls, food poisoning, and loss of hearing or sight. I hope to see someone getting surgery since millions of Americans visit an emergency room each year.…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Basic Maternal And Newborn Care Essay
    • 1126 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Basic Maternal And Newborn Care Essay

    Basic maternal and newborn care consists of healthcare services, provided by the skilled maternal health nurse, that all pregnant women and their newborn infants should receive, or at least be advise as a rewarding and highly beneficial service. One initial key practice inside basic health care is the attendance of such a skilled provider at a birth, which is a critical intervention that can serve as a life-saving reward to both mothers and the baby. In addition, every childbearing woman and newborn is at the initial risk of developing a potentially life-threatening complication at any time, therefore basic care must be linked to a full range os services, including easily accessible emergency care. Integrated throughout basic care, health messages and counselling promote quality health by empowering women to take good care of themselves as well as their new babies, and helping them prevent potential problems. Maternal and Child Health providers should ensure that the women and her family have…

    • 1126 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics