a patient’s movement around the ed, from waiting location to treatment room to investigation area, is based on the presenting illness and ctas. patients wait for the room with the best resources for their condition. for example, a plaster room is the best place to make a cast for a broken ankle, but does not have the heart monitor equipment for diagnosing or treating a heart attack.
these factors help explain why certain patients seem to leave the waiting room faster than others.
people in the ed
the people working in the ed include clinicians such as doctors, nurses and social workers, and non-clinical staff such as clerks, porters and housekeepers. the number and types of staff will depend on the size of hospital. each team member has a defined role and scope of practice, resulting in a roughly predictable sequence in which patients will see each staff member.
a patient entering the ed usually has their information collected by a clerk first, followed by a preliminary assessment by the triage paramedic or nurse. they may then be seen by another professional for a test or procedure like an x-ray. they may be monitored and treated by a nurse through much of this time, and seen by a physician. before leaving the ed, a social worker or patient navigator may be seen as well.
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