Summary
A six-week trial of a 6 AM sonography start cut the emergency department's median wait for an ultrasound from 94 to 41 minutes with no added staff.
Method
Two technologists moved their start to 6 AM on alternating weeks. Wait time was measured from order to first image for every emergency ultrasound.
| Week | Baseline (min) | Trial (min) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 96 | 44 |
| 2 | 91 | 38 |
| 3 | 94 | 43 |
| 4 | 98 | 40 |
| 5 | 90 | 39 |
| 6 | 93 | 42 |
94 min
Median wait, before
41 min
Median wait, during▼
The 7 AM rush stopped being a rush.
Charge nurse, week 4
Recommendation
Proposed2026-10-29
Make the 6 AM start permanent and add a third technologist to the rotation before the winter census rise.
- 1
Approve the scheduleWeek 1
Nursing and radiology leads sign the rotation.
- 2
Post the positionWeeks 2 to 6
One technologist, days, ultrasound-registered.
- 3
Review the numbersWeek 12
Repeat this table with the third technologist on the rota.