Nurse Initiated X-Ray (NIX) aims to streamline patient care in all areas of the Emergency Department (ED), through early initiation of investigations by nursing staff. NIX has been shown to improve the time to meaningful treatment, reduce the proportion of patients who do not wait for treatment, decrease the Emergency Length of Stay (ELOS) and improve patient and staff satisfaction, with most benefits for ambulatory patients.
Nurse Initiated X-Ray (NIX)
Initiative Type
Redesign
Service Improvement
Status
Sustained
Added
23 March 2021
Last updated
08 December 2023
Summary
Key dates
Jul 2019
Implementation sites
Originated at Logan Hospital, but now offered to all Queensland Health Emergency Departments
Partnerships
Queensland Emergency Department Strategic Advisory Panel (QEDSAP); Office of the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer
Aim
To streamline patient care in all areas of ED by up-skilling nursing staff in the ED to initiate specific x-ray investigations.
Benefits
- Improved patient flow.
- Improved time to meaningful treatment.
- Improved staff and patient satisfaction.
Background
NIX is not a new concept and has been implemented in many Queensland facilities over the years, but less frequently sustained. Nurse Practitioner Sarah Brokenshire and Nurse Educator Carly Bland from Logan Hospital ED presented a NIX package to PROV-ED that demonstrated impressive outcomes.
NIX responds to increasing demand on EDs, where pressure to assess, diagnose and treat patients in a shorter timeframe requires the multidisciplinary health care team to work together to provide high quality, safe care.
With appropriate governance, engagement from stakeholders, education, and completion of competencies, nurses can act autonomously within their scope of practice to initiate investigations, thereby streamlining the care of emergency patients.
