Your ER Visits

Even in the best of circumstances, a visit to the emergency room can be intimidating. It is our goal to demystify the emergency room and help you establish an idea of what to expect. An understanding of the process will help in alleviating the fears and anxiety you may experience.

When you are in the emergency department others present may be experiencing the same fears and concerns. Triage is designed to prioritize visitors to the emergency department. This procedure balances medical priority or severity of illness with the first come first serve courtesy.

In summary, these are the several basic stages to your ER visit:
  1. Triage and Registration. This has been accomplished without delaying an evaluation and leads to the determination of whether or not an emergency medical condition exists.
  2. An evaluation by a Registered Nurse (RN) whereby you are interviewed and your vital signs are taken. Many aspects of your care may be initiated by a RN.
  3. An evaluation by an emergency department physician.
  4. Lab, X-ray, or other tests or procedures may have been ordered and or undertaken.
  5. Specific intervention. If you require suturing, casting, or a specific procedure this will all be scheduled and done in an appropriate and timely manner.
  6. Observation. Keeping an eye on you for a period of time is very useful and also important after one has received certain medications. How you respond, whether there is an unknown allergy, and many other factors related the provision of medication while under observation. The course of your illness or injury may change and assist in the diagnosis and treatment. So generally, you are not just sitting around waiting, these downtimes are periods of observation that are to your benefit.
  7. Discharge. Whether you will return home, be admitted to the hospital, or transferred to another facility will be determined along with your involvement in this decision process.
This information will serve to help you understand what goes on and to help with your expectations. This is only a summary, and does not include the full scope of considerations of an emergency department visit. As you can see, all visits to an emergency department involve a complex and challenging process. We look forward to serving your emergency care needs. Feel free to send inquiries to info@ema.us.