Nurse-Led Novel Stroke Response Unit Improves Door-to-Needle Metrics and Patient Outcomes.

Timely treatment of stroke patients is critical for improving outcomes. Emergency Department-Stroke Response Units (ED-SRUs) have emerged as effective models for enhancing stroke care. This study aims to describe the implementation and outcomes of a specialty nurse-led ED-SRU staffed by highly trained neuroscience specialty nurses. We analyzed the collaboration between neuroscience and emergency-trained nurses in the ED-SRU and its impact on stroke treatment metrics, focusing on door-to-needle time for intravenous thrombolytics. The implementation of the ED-SRU resulted in a significant reduction in door-to-needle times, allowing the hospital to surpass national benchmarks for timely stroke treatment. The success of the ED-SRU underscores the importance of interdisciplinary nursing in effectively triaging and caring for complex stroke patients. This model can serve as a framework for other institutions aiming to enhance stroke care delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]