Upon your arrival to the emergency room you will be rapidly assessed by a highly trained nurse to determine the seriousness of your illness or injury. ER staff will take your pulse and oxygen saturation initially, while obtaining pertinent medical information. This process may be followed by further medical screening based upon the presenting illness or injury. After being assessed by the nurse, you or your family member may be approached by a registration clerk. The information provided to them allows us to begin care and order any necessary tests in a timely manner.
Patients are seen by a provider or placed in a room based upon the severity of their illness or injury. While everyone´s reason for coming to the emergency department is important, patients who have the most serious medical conditions are seen first. This means that patients with less serious injuries may have to wait while more critically ill or injured patients are cared for– even if they arrived at the emergency room at the same time or after these individuals.
If your condition requires you to be seen immediately or prohibits you from remaining safely in the waiting room, you will be escorted to a treatment room. To allow for privacy and manage our space constraints, only two visitors are allowed at a time. If a treatment room is not available, you will be asked to remain in the waiting room until one can be prepared for you.
