Nursing Assessment
The registered nurse who evaluates you upon your arrival is called the triage nurse. Triage is a French word that means "to sort." The triage nurse:
- Reviews what problem has brought you to the Emergency Department;
- Checks your vital signs and performs a brief assessment; and
- Determines your priority of care based upon your chief complaint, vital signs and other factors such as previous medical history.
The most seriously-ill or injured patients are seen and treated first. Your priority of care is dependent upon the severity of other patient cases. Please check with the triage nurse should you feel your condition has changed or if you leave the waiting room for any reason.
