Prioritizing Patient Care with Hospital Triage
In the emergency room, triage is a system of gathering patient information to prioritize patient care. It is a five-tier system:
- Immediate life-saving interventions are necessary
- High-risk or emergent situation
- Urgent
- Semi-urgent
- Non-urgent
Wait at home, not in the emergency room. Use the Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican hospitals' online waiting service to select your estimated arrival time and when you will receive emergency triage in Las Vegas and Henderson, NV.
Why is ER Triage Important?
Emergency triage makes sure the sickest patients get care first by taking into account the limited resources of an emergency room. Triage identifies patients who can wait and those who needed immediate care. Some people may become impatient with delays that can occur in a busy emergency room, unaware that a patient who is seriously ill is receiving life-saving care.
Preparing for Emergency Room Triage
As soon as you enter a Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican emergency room, the triage system guides your visit. Typically, a nurse will perform an initial evaluation. The nurse will take your vital measurements, including blood pressure, temperature, pulse, and breathing rate. He or she will gather additional information about your injury or condition by asking a series of related questions. With all of this information, the nurse will make a triage assignment. This determines the order in which you receive care.
The main risk during triage is the accuracy of the assessment. It depends on the competency and skills of the triage nurse. If your symptoms worsen while waiting, notify the patient registration coordinator or triage nurse immediately.
The next step after triage is a medical assessment by a nurse, doctor, or other health care provider. Once the staff makes a diagnosis, your treatment can begin.
Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican hospitals' emergency services prioritize patient care with emergency triage in Las Vegas and Henderson, NV.