How the Emergency Department Works

A visit to an emergency department (ED) can be a frightening time. It sometimes appears to be a place of well-controlled chaos. Hospital EDs are fast-paced, and life-saving intervention by doctors and nurses is a constant occurrence. Rest assured that despite the high level of activity, there is a very systematic plan in place for greeting and assessing new patients when they arrive. Generally, here's what to expect:

• You will be asked to identify your emergency.
  
  
• A triage nurse will assess your condition.
  
  
• Depending on the severity of your illness or injury, and the occupancy level within the ED, you will be asked to wait or go immediately to an exam room.
  
  
• Once inside the exam room, a nurse will ask you a few questions and fill out paperwork for the doctor to review.
  
  
• A doctor will be in to see you as soon as possible.
  
  
• The doctor will examine you. Family/companions may be asked to leave the room during examinations and/or treatments.
  
  
• A doctor may order one or more tests to properly diagnose your condition.
  
  
• Tests are administered by specialists (for example should you need an X-ray, a radiology technician will perform that test).
  
  
• Tests such as X-rays, blood analysis and CT scans not only require a specialist to perform them, they also require a specialist to properly analyze them. For these reasons, it may take some time to get final results.
  
  
• The ED doctor will review your test results.
  
  
• The ED doctor will come back into your exam room and discuss your condition and treatment in more detail.
  
  
• An on-call specialist will be called in if necessary (e.g., a cardiologist, gastroenterologist or hand surgeon).
  
  
• Physicians and nurses will provide treatment.
  
  
• If appropriate, you may be treated in the ED and discharged with further treatment instructions. More severe cases may require admission to the hospital for additional tests, continuous observation or even surgery.
  
  
• If discharged home, you will be advised to follow up with your personal physician. If you do not have a regular physician, the ED will provide a referral for you.
  
  

Typically there are several patients requiring medical attention in the ED at one time. Patients are seen in order of the severity of their condition. For example, someone having a heart attack will be seen sooner than someone with a sprained ankle, regardless of arrival time. The medical staff has vast experience to ensure that you are treated quickly and competently. The goal is to get you feeling well again so that you can go back to enjoying life to the fullest.