Top Functions of Emergency Department in a Hospital

The Functions of Emergency Department in a Hospital are worthwhile. In this article, the impact of the hospital’s emergency sector is unveiled.

The functions of an emergency department (ED) in any hospital are many as it is an entry point into the healthcare facility.

This ever-busy section is responsible for receiving, sorting, stabilizing, and managing victims of all kinds of accidents.

The ED reeks of different cases of patients who may be fighting for their lives. This is a place where cases of not only adults, children are also handled irrespective of the age of the victim. In every government’s health sector, the roles played by the emergency department are crucial.

Having known what the emergency department is, we can then look at some of the functions of an emergency department in a healthcare facility. Let’s get into the details!

Functions of an Emergency Department (ED)

Only a few other sessions in a hospital are as crucial as the ED. In this part of the healthcare facility, there are always many people compared to the rest of the section. Tons of people are getting sick as days go by and to treat all of these people, there’s a need to urgently take them to the emergency department of the hospital.

Here are some of the roles played by an ED of a hospital:

• Emergency Department is a session where patient’s vital statistics are taken

The first place to go when a person is suffering from a serious illness is the emergency department of a hospital.

This is where vital statistics with regards to the person’s health are taken. Signs such as blood pressure, body temperature, and whatnot are documented.

What is done at the ED is to ensure that before any prescriptions are given to the patient, the present health condition of the sick person is taken into consideration.

The doctors and nurses at this department are highly trained to deliver such services in a timely manner.

• Administration of drugs to the patients

After proper examination of the ill individual, ED is also where the administration of drugs to the patient is carried out.

Once the doctor on duty has prescribed some drugs based on what is happening to an individual, the next thing is for the nurses to administer these drugs.

Administration of drugs by the nurses can take a couple of forms such as handing over the tablets to the patient to swallow with water or priming an intravenous (IV) Infusion.

While still at the ED, the nurses will go on to confirm current medication lists with the patients and family and acquire in-hospital prescriptions from the E-R doctor for those medicines.

• Patients monitoring

Another important function of the emergency department in a hospital is the monitoring of patients’ improvement.

Though the role of overseeing the patients at all times rests mainly on the nurses on duty, the doctor also comes in periodically to check what improvements have been recorded compared to the last time of visit.

All of these activities are done in the ED of a healthcare facility. Also, in an unfortunate situation where a patient’s condition is deteriorating, nurses will have to call out the doctor and almost immediately, begin another round of diagnosis, prescriptions, and/or recommendations as the case may warrant.

• Charting and Discharging

While the patient is in the ED of a hospital, the person’s personal information and medical history are all charted up.

The reason for taking in all of this information is to give accurate information to medical personnel that may be in charge of taking care of the patient if the need arises.

Also, charting up the information of the patient while in the emergency department protects the hospital from any potential legal liability down the line. Also, ED is where the patient is discharged after meeting certain health recovery conditions set by the doctor.

The nurses handle the discharge paperwork of the recovery person and explain it to the patient and family.

Also, the patient’s family can ask questions they may have from the doctor and the nurses in charge of taking care of the person.

Things a patient should obtain before discharge

Here are some of the things any recovery patient should obtain before leaving the emergency department of a healthcare facility:

• You should ask for the details of your health conditions. If you’ve got an injury, ensure you ask what and what you are supposed to be doing for total healing of the wound.
• Ask the doctor or nurse about the treatment given and if you are still expected to continue with the drugs. This way, you won’t use drugs that you are not meant to be using after you left the clinic.
• Ask for a letter for your doctor to peruse with regards to the summary of your health condition.
• You may also want to ask for work cover or a medical certificate if it’s possible.

Final thoughts on the Functions of Emergency Department in a Hospital

One of the most stressful and critical sections in a hospital in the emergency department as it plays a more significant role in saving the lives of many people.

At the ED, there are a ton of experts who are ready to go the extra mile to provide quality healthcare services to the people, coupled with the presence of state-of-the-art equipment.

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