b'New Clinical Observation Unit Opens topatients length of stay . In search of best practices Successful First Year in the pediatric setting, the team contacted several childrens hospitals across the nation . Only one In 2019, Nicklaus Childrens Hospital announcedhospital had a designated COU similar to the teams the opening of its new Clinical Observation Unitvision . With their guidance, the team created a model (COU) . The opening of the unit was a culmination ofincluding a nurse-to- patient ratio of 1:5-6 . Being months of preparation and planning that includedmindful of this ratio, nurse documentation guidelines interprofessional collaboration hospital-widewere suggested to facilitate alleviation of the nursing beginning in the previous year . workload and improve efficiency without jeopardizing In 2018, the need to create an observational unitquality . Inclusion/exclusion criteria were drafted and within Nicklaus Childrens Hospitals main campusfinal approval was awarded by an interdisciplinary facility was identified. An interprofessional teamteam. With operational efficiency as the driver, the was developed to investigate the planning andgoal became to properly identify which patients management of this endeavor . The team consideredshould be admitted under observation status from that numerous resources are utilized when a patientthe Emergency Department, Urgent Care Centers, is hospitalized, including expenses related to nursingand Surgical Services . Once transferred to the COU, and ancillary services . The more resources applied,patients would be frequently monitored for any the greater the expense a hospital incurs . Theychanges in clinical status and then, either discharged also considered that the creation of an effectivehome if they met criteria to do so, or receive a status COU model tends to reduce unnecessary inpatientchange to inpatient for further management .Nurse-hospitalizations, decreases length of stays, decreasesdriven discharge criteria were also launched in operational inefficiencies, and eliminates duplicationthe EMR to empower the nurse to collaborate with of documentationtherefore reducing the expensesproviders in setting discharge goals which drove incurred by the hospital . They decided to beginproviders to more frequently re-evaluate each planning for the establishment of a COU in an effortpatients status, ultimately decreasing length of stay . to decrease costs and improve operational efficiency,This proved to be crucial for the units success . with the main goal being to decrease the average Left and below: COU 1-year anniversaryNursing Annual Report 2018 - 2019 31'