What you can expect when visiting the Emergency Department?
- When you present to the Emergency Department, make yourself known to a staff member.
- You will have an initial triage assessment within 15 minutes of arrival. You will be assessed for urgent life threatening conditions. The patients with the greatest need for care are treated first.
- You will need to provide your Manitoba Health Registration Card. your health history and any other information such as allergies, medications, medical conditions, and/or special diet that directly relates to your history or presenting complaints that impacts your care.
How long will I wait?
It is our goal to try and see every patient as soon as we possibly can. Emergency care is not first come, first serve. Patients are seen in order of urgency based on their condition.
Arriving in an ambulance does not always mean you will be seen sooner than other patients.
During longer wait times, the Emergency Department nurse will be reassessing your conditions at regular intervals. Please tell the nurse at any time if you are experiencing increased pain, or your condition has worsened since arrival.
Getting Treatment
The nurse will call your name and you will be escorted to a treatment room. An emergency physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner will examine you and talk about your medical concerns. Please take this time to review your medications, past medical history and any other concerns. Additional tests or x-rays may be ordered or another specialist may be asked to see you. The tests and consults from another specialist are to help in determining the most appropriate care for you.
After a physician or nurse practitioner completes assessment and review results, a plan of care will be discussed with you. If anything is not clear, please ask questions at any time regarding your care. Some illness and injuries may require you to be admitted to the hospital, transferred to another hospital or to follow up with your family physician or nurse practitioner in the community. If at any time you are concerned about treatment or delays, please ask your nurse or doctor.
Before you leave Emergency, make sure you understand:
- your diagnosis
- your prescription
- the Emergency Department Discharge Instruction Form
- what you might need as part of your care at home
If you decide to leave the Emergency Department, please inform the registration desk prior to leaving.
If you do not understand any of the instructions, please speak with the nurse or physician that cared for you in the Emergency Department… And remember: It’s always safe to ask questions!
