Level 4: Urgent Care

The patient is in a highly unstable and unpredictable condition either related to their primary problem or an exacerbation of other related factors.

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