Level 4: Urgent Care
Lay Descriptors
- The patient is in a highly unstable and unpredictable condition either related to
their primary problem or an exacerbation of other related factors
- The existing or
longer term plan of care may be postponed, while alternate urgent treatments and
interventions are put in place to avoid any further deterioration, or protect the
patient
- The patient’s condition may change rapidly and therefore high levels of
observation and supervision are in place, or provided on a continuous basis for the
majority of the day
- There is regular senior clinical review
- The work to deliver care
is multifaceted with a number of highly skilled interventions and technical
procedures interspersed with numerous tasks to provide full personal care
- The
patient’s ability to participate in the ongoing care, and maintain their own safety
and that of others, may be the primary factor in their ongoing instability and
therefore, require actions and interventions beyond the normal routines of the
nursing team