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What to Expect
 A visit to the Emergency
Department is stressful for everyone involved. Not knowing
what to expect makes the situation even more trying. To
relieve some anxiety, we will try to provide answers on this
page to some common questions and concerns regarding a visit
to the Emergency Department.
What
Happens When I First Arrive?
When you arrive in the
Emergency Department, a triage nurse will evaluate your
condition. “Triage” is the first stage of evaluating the
type of illness or injury you have and its severity. If you
have a life threatening condition, you will be taken to a
treatment area where care will be administered immediately.
If your condition is not life threatening, the triage nurse
will collect information from you to be used by the
physician and nurse treating you.
Questions you may be asked including the following:
-
Do you
suspect you are pregnant?
-
What
was the date of your last tetanus shot?
-
Are you
on medication?
-
Are you
allergic to any medication?
What
Happens Next?
After your evaluation by
a triage nurse, an Emergency staff member will prepare a
chart for you. This chart will include information such as
your name, date of birth, and social security number. Also,
you will be asked to sign a consent for treatment. After
this chart has been completed, you may be asked to wait in
an Emergency Department waiting area until an appropriate
room is available.
Wait
Time
Waiting to see the
physician when you are sick or injured can be a very
difficult and trying experience. At Woodland Heights
Medical Center we try to make your wait as short and as
pleasant as possible. Typically, we see patients on a
first-come-first-serve basis. However, sometimes other
circumstances prevent this from happening. Here are some
reasons why:
Critical Care Patients
Because these patients
are often in a life or death situation, we must treat these
patients first—even if they arrive after our other patients
whose conditions are less urgent.
Special Needs
Depending upon the
specific needs of your illness or injury, you might be
placed in a specialized treatment room. If these treatment
rooms are occupied, you might have to wait longer than
patients with other ailments until the room is ready for
use. An example of this situation would be if you had a cut
that needed stitches. A treatment room with specialized
instruments has been designated for treating such an
injury. If this room was being used, you would have to wait
until it was cleaned before you could be treated.
Who
will Provide my Medical Care?
At Woodland Heights
Medical Center, you will receive medical care from a
qualified physician trained in Emergency Medicine.
Treatment
You
will receive treatment from highly qualified physicians and
nurses who care about you and your well-being. They
understand the anxiety that you have as a patient and will
do their best to try to alleviate your concerns.
Additional Testing
In addition to your
initial evaluation by a physician, the following items might
also be used in determining your diagnosis and treatment.
If a decision is made to
admit you to the hospital, it might be necessary to see your
private physician first.
Visitors
One individual of your
choice may accompany you while you are being treated. The
only exception is during severe trauma cases. In this
situation, the staff needs to devote its full attention to
your needs as a patient; therefore, family and friends may
be asked to remain in the waiting room.
After
a Patient is Treated
After you have been
treated, you will be monitored to make sure the treatment is
successful. A staff member will go over written instructions
regarding the care you need once you leave the hospital. You
might be referred to a private physician for follow up care. |
