SUMMARY - Hospital Capacity & Beds
A patient admitted to the emergency department waits hours for a bed, the hospital full, the ward she needs already over capacity. When a bed finally opens, it is because someone was discharged earlier than ideal, their need for space displacing their need for complete recovery. A surgical patient has her operation cancelled because no ICU bed is available should she need one post-operatively. A nurse works a unit where every bed is full and some patients are in hallways, the workload impossible, the care compromised.