Efficacy of nurse consultants in a health emergency coordination center

Objectives To describe nurse consultants' work at the Health Emergency Coordination Center of Galicia (CCUSG-061) in terms of their ability to resolve problems and the appropriateness of their decisions. Material and methods Retrospective, observational, descriptive study that included all telephone calls attended by nurses between July 2013 and 2014. The results of a consultation were considered successful if a request for help was resolved without mobilization of resources and did not lead to a new call to the emergency service, a hospital admission, or a death in the next 24 hours. Results The nurses attended 37 553 calls, resolving 92% without mobilizing resources or patients. Ninety-seven percent of the calls resolved did not generate new calls or complications in the next 24 hours. Conclusion Nurses resolve most patients' emergency care requirements safely without moving patients or mobilizing health resources.