What is hospital triage?
In hospital emergency departments (ED), triage is done by a specialised triage nurse as soon as possible after a patient arrives.
A typical triage journey usually follows three steps but may vary depending on your condition.
- When arriving at ED a triage nurse will assess your condition and determine how urgently you need to be seen.
- Assessed patients are then registered onto the hospital's medical systems.
- Nurses complete a formal triage to decide which area of the ED will see you.
Patients at Nepean Hospital ED are treated under different models of care in different areas of the department.
The five triage categories
The triage system is in place to help us care for the most seriously unwell patients first.
Patients are allocated into one of five triage categories based on the time in which they need medical attention.
While you may have been in the ED waiting room longer than the person next to you, they may be in a different queue to you as they have been prioritised a more urgent triage category.
The five triage categories are:
Triage category 1: Resuscitation
People who need treatment immediately as they are critically ill and have an immediately life-threatening condition. These patients may be suffering from a critical injury or cardiac arrest. These patients would be seen in the resuscitation area of the ED.
Triage category 2: Emergency
People who have an imminently life-threatening condition. Patients with cardiac chest pain, who have difficulty breathing or serious infections are included in this category. These patients would be seen in the resuscitation room, acute care and START Zone area of the ED.
Triage category 3: Urgent
People who have a potentially life-threatening condition. Patients in this category are suffering from severe illness, bleeding heavily from cuts, have major fractures or are severely dehydrated. These patients would be seen in the acute care and START Zone area of the ED.
Triage category 4: Semi-Urgent
People who have a potentially serious condition. Patients in this category have less severe symptoms or injuries, such as a foreign body in the eye, sprained ankle, migraine or earache.
Triage category 5: Non-Urgent
People who have a less urgent condition. People in this category have minor illnesses or symptoms that may have been present for more than a week, such as rashes or minor aches and pains. These patients would be seen in the sub-acute or fast track area of the ED.
Frequently asked questions in the emergency department
Can I eat or drink anything?
Ask the triage nurse if you can eat or drink. Sometimes you need to not eat or drink anything while you are waiting to see a doctor because you may need to have a test or an operation which requires your stomach to be empty.
Can I get some pain relief?
Tell the triage nurse if you are in pain while waiting or if you feel your condition is getting worse.
Do I need to tell you what medications I'm taking?
Let the triage nurse know what medications you are on, when you need to take them and when you last took them. You can also bring your medications with you when presenting to the emergency department.
Can I contact anyone?
Ask the triage nurse if you should contact family, relatives or friends to let them know you are in emergency.
What happens after triage?
Following the triage nurse you will be seen by the clinical initiatives nurse or a technical assistant to begin treatment. This includes pain relief administered, pathology collection and radiology orders.
How long does it take for my results to come back?
Blood tests may take anywhere between 60-90 minutes for your results to return (unless urgent for life threatening presentations).
X-rays and CT images are available shortly after but formal reports can take a few days. Regardless of a formal report being available, medical staff can determine provisional diagnosis in the interim and commence appropriate treatment.
Can I have an interpreter?
If English is not your first language and you are having difficulty understanding our clinical teams, you can request a free health care interpreter. Please let staff know upon arrival if you need an interpreter such as AUSLAN or for other languages.