This assessment is made at the nurse’s interview.
At this stage, the nurse will discuss the patient’s symptoms and background information in more detail and the basic vital signs are measured. This usually involves measuring the blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and blood glucose level, as well as an ECG.
Depending on the symptoms, other measurements and examinations may also be performed. The nurse also asks about the patient’s basic illnesses and medical history, the medications they are on and possible allergies.
At this point, the nurse will also inform the patient about what will happen next regarding treatment and procedures. This is a good moment to ask the nurse any questions. The nurse will decide together with the patient where it would be best and safest for the patient to wait for their turn for a consultation. The nurse tells the patient what they should do while waiting if their condition takes a turn for the worse.
Follow Mikko at the emergency department
The lobby doors keep sliding open and shut. After a good half an hour, Mikko is called into the treatment room. The nurse asks Mikko to take off some of his clothes and to sit on the examination couch.
The nurse asks details about Mikko’s abdominal pain and takes the necessary measurements. The nurse finds nothing exceptional and says the doctor will continue the examination. When asked to describe the pain, Mikko says the pain comes and goes and feels it is in the middle of this stomach.
The nurse asks if Mikko would like some pain relief. As he is not in too much pain at the moment, Mikko says no. The nurse says Mikko can always ask for pain relief later if the pain gets worse. The nurse also tells Mikko not to eat or drink anything before he is seen by a doctor for a further examination. The nurse then informs that some bloodsamples will be taken and asks Mikko to give a urine sample.