As a 14Long nurse/charge nurse, I have an idea to reduce inefficiencies and health care costs.  Even if I am not the recipient of this award, I think this problem area warrants attention.  I work on a 24 bed unit with 6 semi-private beds, and it becomes a time-consuming task for the charge RN to try to move a patient who has been admitted into a semi-private room into a private room.  Quite often, a patient in the Emergency Department takes precedence over the already admitted 14L patient who wants to move from a semi-private room into a private room (understandably to meet national benchmarks.)  Although I do not have specific data, which I'd be happy to obtain if needed, I am concerned about the issue of the number of patients throughout UCSF who are placed in semi-private rooms who soon-after (i.e. hours) upon admission need to be moved into private rooms; whether by subsequent infection control orders (i.e. bedbugs, r/o DFA, TB, C-diff, etc.), social issues, or by patient request so that family members can remain present for patient support and/or interpreting.  I understand the necessity of meeting benchmarks in patient placement, but I would like to see a system within UCSF's admissions/bed control that includes asking patients prior to bed placement if they would like to share a room (perhaps they could get a discount or some other perk).  Some patients do not mind sharing a room.  This affects patient flow, hospitality, nursing, infection control, patient satisfaction, and I'm sure health care costs.  Thank you! 

Lisa Marchi RN