An emergency department is experiencing an increase in patient wait times and a decrease in patient satisfaction scores. After a preliminary round of data gathering, the nurse leader organizes a committee to perform a comprehensive review. What is the MOST effective initial action for the committee to take in order to start the process improvement?
Immediately expand the staff during peak hours.
Implement a top-down change in leadership practices.
Revise the scheduling system for the nursing staff.
Conduct a root cause analysis to determine the underlying reasons for the increased wait times and decreased patient satisfaction.