What to Expect During Your ED Visit

Triage

The triage process determines the seriousness of each patient's condition and determines the order in which patients will be seen.

The first thing for you to expect when arriving at the Emergency Department is to be evaluated by a Registered Nurse (RN). The Triage process is a quick assessment of your medical condition, and determines the order in which patients are seen and treated. During this process, the RN will ask for your name, date of birth, Social Security Number and the main reason you have come to the Emergency Department. This is also the time that your vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, etc.) will be checked. Your next steps will bet determined by the seriousness of your condition.  

Exam Room

Once you are in the exam room, you will be seen by an Emergency Room Physician and a Registered Nurse. The nurse will start to gather all pertinent information that will help in determining your best course of treatment, as well as carry out any orders set forth by the Emergency Room Physician.

Once the Emergency Room Physician has examined you, further testing (labs, CT, Ultrasound, X-ray, etc.) may be done, you may be moved to observation care, a flex-care room or discharged to go home.

In the Emergency Room there are many physicians. You will likely not see the same physician if you have been a patient in the past.  Having a Primary Care Physician for you and your family for non-emergent cases provides an opportunity to establish a relationship with a physician. To find a physician you may call 407-303-DOCS.

Residents

Florida Hospital East Orlando is a teaching hospital with several residencies including the Emergency Medicine Residency and one of the largest Family Residency Programs in the State.  Residents are physicians who have received their Medical Degree from an Accredited Medical School, but who practice under the license of a supervising physician. Because the residents are practicing under the license of another physician, everything, including prescriptions, tests and a diagnosis must be signed off by the supervising physician.