Table 1 ED characteristics
|  | Mean ± sd | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
Patient volume and characteristics | |||
ED patients (per year) | 22,755 ± 9457 | 6082 | 53,196 |
Age patients | |||
 % < 18 | 18.2 ± 4.5 | 9 | 30 |
 % 18–64 | 48.4 ± 5.9 | 39 | 69 |
 % 65+ | 33.8 ± 7.5 | 13 | 51 |
Entry route patients | |||
 % self-referrals | 14.9 ± 13.5 | 1.2 | 55.9 |
 % primary care | 51.8 ± 14.4 | 16.4 | 76.5 |
 % EMS | 16.6 ± 5.3 | 0.5 | 30.0 |
 % other | 15.2 ± 8.0 | 1.1 | 52.1 |
 % admissions | 38.2 ± 10.7 | 12.9 | 76.4 |
ED and hospital capacity | |||
 ED beds | 16.1 ± 6.6 | 4 | 36 |
 Hospital beds | 441.3 ± 245.3 | 104 | 1339 |
Workforce capacity | |||
 FTE ED nurses | 28.3 ± 11.0 | 11 | 65 |
Calculated ratios | |||
 FTE ED nurse/ED bed | 1.8 ± 0.5 | 0.9 | 3.5 |
 FTE ED nurse/ED patient (per 24 h) | 0.46 ± 0.97 | 0.30 | 0.72 |
 Admissions/FTE ED nurse (per 24 h) | 0.86 ± 0.31 | 0.18 | 2.24 |
 ED beds/patient (per 24 h) | 0.27 ± 0.08 | 0.16 | 0.54 |