Patient’s Journey Through Emergency

Transcript

Sometimes when I get sick or hurt myself, I might have to go to the hospital. I'll meet lots of new people, which might feel worrying, but they are there to help me. I fell off my back and really hurt my arm. It doesn't look very straight, so mum thinks we should go to the hospital. Let's pack a few items, take some pain relief, and then check how long the wait is before we go. Mum checks the website. It says a 21-minute wait, but that's just the time it might take to start treatment, not how long it will be to see a doctor. If someone's really sick, they'll get hurt first, so the wait time can change. Every hospital looks different when you arrive. When we get there, we meet a nice nurse. What brought you guys in today? So, she's just fallen off her bike and injured her elbow? I tell her my arm really hurts. She asks my family some more questions to figure out how quickly I need to be seen. This is called triage. Sometimes they ask if we're Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, just to make sure everyone gets the care they need. Then we head to the waiting room. We're just going through the doors here, and they'll go over some Medicare details with you. Thank you. The waiting room is a bit noisy, but there are other kids like me. Now, if your pain gets worse, or if she looks paler mum than usual for you, or if you start getting difficulty breathing, can you come and call me? AndAnd we'll check in on her. Yeah, it's Betsy's turn. A nurse takes her to a room with a bed. Hi, Betsy. If you need one of the nurses, you press this little green button, and it'll call me, OK? And then, Claire, if it's an emergency or you need us fast, you just click this button up here, OK? Is it all right if we do your checks now? OK, we're going to check your heart rate, and your breathing rate, and your temperature. If you have an injury, you might go to the fast-track area. You might meet lots of different people. Hey there, I'm Connor. I'm going to take you where you need to go. So diagnosis wise, we think this is a cough from a viral infection. Before they leave, Betsy's mom checks what was wrong. What to look out for, which medications to take and the results of the test. She also checks if Betsy needs to come back or make any appointments. And then I will give you a few bits of paperwork here, a discharge summary, and then also this script for the medication we need. That's everything, OK? Thanks. OK, darling, so let's go home. So now you know, the emergency department can feel big and busy, but it's filled with loads of kind people who are there to help you. You've got this. Thanks for coming with me to the hospital. I hope it helps you feel a little braver if you ever have to go, no matter which hospital you go to. Stay safe, and don't forget your helmet.