Your Guide to Renown Health’s Emergency Room
Renown Health provides leading emergency and trauma care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at three convenient locations. When sudden illness or injury occurs with no warning, we’re here when you need us, and it's important to know what you can expect.
1. Triage
Once you have arrived at a Renown emergency room, a nurse or clinician will assess your condition and determine the severity level through a triage process.
Triage ensures that the most critically ill patients are seen first and can often mean that others will be seen before you, depending on the severity of illness or injury. A nurse or clinician will review your current symptoms, vital signs, height, weight and medical history. It is customary to have your body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure measured during this process.
Please note: Patients arriving by ambulance who are not critically ill or injured may also be transported to the emergency room lobby for triage, similar to patients arriving on their own.
2. Registration
Next, the emergency team will ensure that the admitting and treatment process goes smoothly by gathering all necessary information for your patient records and obtaining your consent for treatment. Our team will help guide you through this process and answer any questions you may have.
3. Care
With advanced technology and experienced specialists from Northern Nevada Emergency Physicians, all patients are in good hands for emergency care at Renown Health. Our pediatric and adult emergency physicians have completed fellowship training in specialty areas such as sports medicine, ultrasound and emergency medical services. Team members in the emergency department will ensure you are informed and as comfortable as possible during your visit to minimize any pain or discomfort you may feel.
You will be seen by an attending physician to diagnose your condition and nursing staff to help you through your treatment. If diagnostic tests such as laboratory tests, X-rays or scans are needed to help the attending physician determine your care plan, a member of the emergency department will escort you to the imaging area. You might be invited to wait in the emergency lobby until a physician can evaluate you further.
At Renown, your health and well-being are our top priorities, and while we strive to provide efficient care, please understand that the duration of your ER visit may vary based on your unique condition, necessary imaging results, treatment plan and other factors. We value your time and are committed to delivering the best possible care.
4. Reevaluation
After test results and evaluation, a physician will determine treatment and next steps including working with your primary care physician for additional information, referring you to a Renown specialist, or determining hospital admission or discharge.
5. Discharge
At discharge, all patients are given ample instructions on caring for their condition, wound or illness, including information about any prescribed medications. These instructions are explained to you in detail, printed and available in your MyChart. For your convenience, our physicians can send prescriptions right over to our in-house pharmacy at Renown Regional or Renown South Meadows, so your medications are just steps away.
The emergency care team will equip you with the knowledge to help you confidently return home, including any recommendations for follow-up care, so please be sure to ask your questions and for any clarifications.
