When you visit a hospital emergency department (ED), your care begins with a quick triage to understand your needs and make sure the most urgent cases are seen first.
From there, you’ll follow a clear and supportive journey through the ED, where our team work to assess, treat, and stabilise your condition.
Every step is designed to keep you safe and informed, whether you need to stay in hospital for further care or are ready to return home with advice and follow-up support. Our goal is to make your experience as smooth and reassuring as possible while delivering the right care at the right time.
A typical journey through Nepean Hospital emergency department
Assessment by waiting room nurse
Upon arrival to Nepean Hospital Emergency Department, you will be greeted by a triage trained Registered Nurse. The triage nurse will conduct a quick assessment to determine how quickly you need to receive treatment. You will then be directed to registration or to priority triage chairs.
Registration
Our clerical staff need to check your details to make sure your information is correct in our system while you’re at Nepean Hospital.
We’ll also ask for:
- The name and contact of your next of kin
- Your local GP’s details (so we can send follow-up letters)
- Any private health insurance details
Triage
A nurse will call you in and listen to why you’ve come to the Emergency Department. They will check your vital signs (like heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature) and give you a triage category from 1 to 5 using the Australasian Triage Scale. This category helps us decide how quickly you need care, and which team will look after you.
For more details about what each triage category means, please refer to: Triage at Nepean Hospital emergency department | NSW Government
Treatment commenced
After your first assessment, if you’re asked to wait in the waiting area, we’ll start some of your care while you wait. This might include taking blood samples, giving pain relief, ordering X-rays, or providing medication to help with your symptoms. Our goal is to make sure you’re as comfortable and cared for as possible while waiting to see the right team for your treatment.
Taken into right 'model of care' for you
When it’s your turn to be seen by a doctor, nurse practitioner or physiotherapist, you’ll be taken from the waiting room to the appropriate area in the Emergency Department. A nurse will check your vital signs, which include your blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen level, pain score, and temperature.
For more details about how care is provided in Nepean ED, please refer to: Areas of the Nepean Hospital emergency department | NSW Government
Assessment and review of treatment
You’ll be seen by a doctor or a nurse practitioner in the Emergency Department. They will ask you about your symptoms and medical history, check your condition, and look at any test results from previous treatment. They will also look at any prescribed or over-the-counter medications you have been taking.
Referral and assessment by specialist team
If the doctor, nurse practitioner or physiotherapist in the Emergency Department thinks you need to be seen by a specialist team (such as, cardiology, orthopaedics, or paediatrics), they will arrange for that team to come and see you in the Emergency Department. You’ll usually stay in the Emergency Department while you wait for them.
Admission or discharge
Following your assessment, treatment and review, it will be determined if you need admission into the hospital for further treatment or are safe to be discharged home. If you require admission into the hospital, a request for a bed on the appropriate ward will be made. The Emergency Department will be notified when a bed is available. When there can be a delay to a bed becoming available, you will remain in Emergency Department and your treatment will continue as planned by the treating team.