Evaluasi kesiapan ambulans rujukan dan karakteristik perawat pendamping di Aceh: Evaluation of referral ambulance readiness and characteristics of accompanying nurses in Aceh - Halimuddin Halimuddin; Alfi Raihana; Aiyub Aiyub; Abul A'la Tarigan; Masli Yuzar (Poltekkes Kemenkes Jayapura, 2026)
Sistem rujukan merupakan komponen penting dalam pelayanan kesehatan untuk memastikan pasien mendapatkan penanganan sesuai tingkat kebutuhannya. Ambulans berperan dalam menjaga keselamatan pasien selama proses rujukan, namun minimnya kelengkapan peralatan medis masih menjadi tantangan di banyak daerah. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengidentifikasi karakteristik perawat pendamping pasien dan mengevaluasi kelengkapan ambulans rujukan ke RSUD dr. Zainoel Abidin Banda Aceh. Penelitian cross-sectional dilaksanakan pada 1–14 Desember 2023 dengan melibatkan 115 perawat pendamping dari ambulans yang merujuk pasien ke rumah sakit tersebut. Karakteristik responden dianalisis secara univariat, sedangkan hubungan antara karakteristik perawat dengan kelengkapan ambulans diuji menggunakan uji Mann-Whitney U dan Fisher's Exact Test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perawat pendamping memiliki median usia 29 tahun (interquartile range [IQR]: 26–32) dan median masa kerja 5 tahun (IQR: 3–7). Mayoritas berjenis kelamin laki-laki (80,0%), berpendidikan Diploma III Keperawatan (79,1%), bertugas di Instalasi Gawat Darurat (61,7%), dan pernah mengikuti pelatihan kegawatdaruratan (86,1%). Sebagian besar kendaraan rujukan merupakan ambulans transport (72,2%), dan 93,0% tidak memenuhi standar kelengkapan peralatan medis. Analisis bivariat menunjukkan tidak terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara usia (p = 0,357), masa kerja (p = 0,350), dan pelatihan kegawatdaruratan (p = 0,567) dengan kelengkapan peralatan medis ambulans. Temuan ini mengindikasikan perlunya kebijakan yang dapat meningkatkan standar kelengkapan ambulans dalam sistem rujukan pasien. The referral system is an essential component of healthcare services to ensure that patients receive care according to their clinical needs. Ambulances play a crucial role in maintaining patient safety during referrals; however, inadequate medical equipment remains a major challenge in many regions. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of nurse escorts and evaluate the completeness of ambulances used for patient referrals to Dr. Zainoel Abidin Regional General Hospital, Banda Aceh. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1–14, 2023, involving 115 nurse escorts accompanying patients referred by ambulance to the hospital. Respondent characteristics were summarized using univariate analysis, while the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's Exact Test were used to examine associations between nurse characteristics and ambulance equipment completeness. The results showed that nurse escorts had a median age of 29 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 26–32) and a median work experience of 5 years (IQR: 3–7). Most participants were male (80.0%), held a Diploma III in Nursing (79.1%), worked in the Emergency Department (61.7%), and had received emergency care training (86.1%). Most referral vehicles were transport ambulances (72.2%), and 93.0% lacked complete medical equipment. Bivariate analysis revealed no significant association between age (p = 0.357), work experience (p = 0.350), or emergency care training (p = 0.567) and ambulance equipment completeness. These findings indicate the need for policies aimed at improving ambulance equipment standards to enhance the quality and safety of patient referral services.