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What is the Triage system?
As with all hospitals in Ontario, you are triaged and your treatment is prioritized using the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) guidelines, to allow the sickest patients to be seen first. This means the doctor will see a patient with a heart attack before a patient with a sore throat. CTAS Level 1 represents the most life-threatening situations while CTAS Level 5 is the least urgent.
What happens when I arrive at the Emergency Department?
Emergency patients go through a two-step triage process to rapidly identify and treat patients arriving in the Emergency Department.
Upon arrival at the Emergency Department, you will be greeted and a Triage Registered Nurse (RN) will screen you for life threatening illnesses or injuries within approximately 15 minutes of arrival. If you are screened to be in a life threatening situation, you will be immediately taken into a treatment area where you will be fully assessed and treated.
If the first Triage RN identifies that you have a non-life-threatening or less urgent condition, you will be directed to a designated area to wait for a complete triage assessment by the 2nd Registered Nurse in Triage.
You are triaged and your treatment is prioritized using the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) guidelines. CTAS Level 1 represents the most life-threatening situations while CTAS Level 5 is the least urgent.
While you are waiting you will be reassessed by the 2nd Triage RN at regular intervals, based on your CTAS level, to see if your condition has changed.
Registration
When the Triage Nurse has finished you will be sent to the Registration Clerk. The Registration Clerk will ask you for:
§ your Ontario Health Card
§ your blue hospital identification card (if you have one)
§ your name, address, phone number, date of birth, and your family doctor's name
§ the name and phone number of who to call should they need to talk to someone about your care
After you are registered, the Registration Clerk may give you a new hospital identification card and an identification band to put on your wrist.
You may have to wait.
We will do our very best to see you as quickly as possible. The Emergency Department is very busy and long waits are common. Depending on your condition, you may be asked to wait in the waiting room. While you are waiting, please tell the Triage Nurse:
§ before eating or drinking
§ if your condition gets worse
§ if you must leave before seeing the doctor
Information about your condition is recorded at triage. For safety and to detect any change in your condition, you may be asked for the same information by different clinical staff.
What should I do with my valuables?
If possible, send your valuables home with a family member or friend. Otherwise, you must keep your personal items with you. We can give you a bag for them that you can keep with you. If you brought medications, keep them with you. The hospital is not responsible for your valuables while you are a patient.
When will I see a Doctor?
Depending on the time of day there may be one to three doctors in the Emergency Department. An additional doctor is on-call at all times if we get unexpected volumes. How soon you are seen by a doctor depends on how sick or badly injured you are and how sick or badly injured other people are.
You may be seen ahead of other people because:
§ you need care more quickly
§ the specialist you need to see is available
§ the room or equipment you need is available
Is there a nurse looking after me?
Everyone who comes to the Emergency Department has a nurse taking care of them. Your nurse will ask you how you are feeling, perform tests, give treatment, and care for you as you need it. You can ask your nurse any questions you have about your care.
Can I have someone stay with me?
You can have one person stay with you in the Emergency Department. Children under 16 years old should not come with you to the hospital. For children under the age of 16 who need emergency care, both parents/guardians can stay with the child.
Why must I wait after seeing the doctor?
While it is frustrating for you to wait, getting the best possible care for you is our top priority. After you have seen the doctor, you may still need to wait. This may be because:
§ Staff are caring for or treating someone who is very ill.
§ The doctor ordered tests such as x-rays or blood tests to diagnose your problem. These tests might take time and the doctor may have to wait for the results.
§ The doctor may want you to see a specialist. If the specialist is with another patient or in surgery you may need to wait.
What is the Emergency Isolation Unit (EIU)?
If the Triage Nurse thinks you might have an infection that other people can catch, you may be taken to the Emergency Isolation Unit (EIU). The EIU is designed to prevent the spread of infection. Visitors must first speak to the nurse and put on a mask, gown, and gloves, as instructed by the nurse, before going into your room.
What is abuse or harassment?
The Emergency Department can be a very stressful place and some people can become very upset. Your safety and comfort are important to us so it's important to stay calm.
We will not tolerate any yelling, hitting, or threats. If we have to, we will call the hospital Security Staff for help if we feel our safety or the safety of patients, visitors, or volunteers is at risk.
When can I go home?
Your doctor will tell you when you can go home. After your treatment, the doctor will give you instructions for follow-up care. Please make sure you understand all the doctor's instructions. Your family doctor will get a copy of your record if they work with William Osler Heath Centre.
What happens if I have to be admitted to the hospital?
If the doctor tells you that you should stay in the hospital one or more nights, you will be admitted to the hospital and transferred to a bed in another part of the hospital.
If a bed is not available right away, we will care for you in the Emergency Department. We may have to move you several times within the Emergency Department until a bed is ready, to accommodate other patients.
If you bring medications, keep them with you.
If you have to stay in the Emergency Department for a long time, you may have many people taking care of you. They may ask you the same questions more than once to find out if your condition has changed.
You should also know:
§ If you do not understand English well, please ask for an interpreter. Our hospital has several types of interpreter services for you including volunteers, professionals, and telephone interpreters.
§ Smoking is not allowed anywhere on hospital property.
§ Please wash your hands frequently. We have hand sanitizers throughout the Emergency Department for you to wash your hands. Hand washing reduces the spread of infection.
Your privacy is important!
Your private information will only be given to people who need to know it. Speak to your nurse or doctor if you or a family member is worried about your privacy.
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