How Does Emergency Care Work?

Greeter/Registration

Your experience will differ if you came by ambulance or by car. When you first come to the emergency department, you will be asked to go over to the desk where your basic information will be taken down and your vital signs, that is your temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate, will be measured. You will be seen by the triage nurse. If you come by ambulance, you may be either taken straight to a bed in the Emergency Department if you are very sick or asked to go to triage.

Triage Process

Since, we see all emergencies – great and small ranging from heart attacks to cuts and bruises, we cannot see everyone in the order they came in. The sickest people should be seen first because they have the most to gain from being seen quickly. Sometimes feeling sick and being very so sick that you have to be seen immediately are two different things, and that is exactly why we have Triage. The triage nurses are experienced nurses that by talking to you, looking at your vital signs, and briefly examining you can determine what area of the Emergency Department you can be seen in and how quickly you need to be seen by a provider. Since our emergency department is divided into different treatment areas, triage also determines which area will bets serve the problem you have.

Emergency Department Registration Process

You will be registered either in the waiting room or in the Emergency Department. Registration process essentially consists of getting your address and contact information, your physician’s name, and your insurance information. This process never delays care but is done during the normal waits that will occur.

Evaluation

You will next be seen by one of our physicians or nurse practitioners. The evaluation process may be as simple as answering a few questions and an examination by the clinician or in many cases will involve testing. It may require the attention of another specialist. All of this takes time and the usual stay in the main area is 4-5 hours. In this time we can accomplish testing and results take may have taken 2 weeks as an outpatient.

What to Bring to the Emergency Department?

• ID card
• Insurance card and information
• Medical history
• Medication list with doses
• List of your doctors
• ALLERGY list.
• A ride home.( You may be given medications that can impair your ability to drive)
• If you feel that you will likely be admitted, make sure that there is someone to take care of your pets and home.