Emergency Department

Triage

Our Emergency department sees over 19,000 patients per year. Our highest volume of patients is seen between 8 am and 4 pm each day. When you arrive at our Emergency Department, you will initially be assessed by a nurse. At this time, you will be assigned a triage level. If at any point you feel your condition has changed since being triaged, please inform the triage nurse immediately. 

What does triage mean?

  • The main role of the triage is to assign a priority to patients who need more urgent care.

  • This is a Standard of Practice for Emergency Departments across Canada.

  • Our Emergency Nurses are specially trained in assessing your Triage Level.

There are 5 Triage Levels

  • Level 1- RESUSCITATION for example, someone whose heart has stopped

  • Level 2- EMERGENT, for example, someone involved in a major accident with severe life threatening injuries.

  • Level 3- URGENT, for example, someone with pneumonia and difficulty breathing.

  • Leve l 4-LESS URGENT, for example, someone with an earache or a minor cut requiring stitches.

  • Level 5- NON URGENT, for example, someone with minor symptoms or needing a prescription renewal.

ER Frequently Asked Questions

Q1 - Why are some people taken care of before me when I have been here longer?

  • Critically injured or ill patients, no matter how they arrive to the Emergency Department, will always be given priority.

  • Ambulances often arrive at the Emergency Department where you cannot see them.

  • If the medical needs of these patients are more urgent than those of the patients in the waiting room, then those ambulance patients will be seen first.

Q2 - How long will I need to wait to be seen by a physician?

  • Wait times vary day to day and there is no real way to anticipate wait times. However, the trends that are seen most days in our Emergency Department are:

    • The highest volume of patients are typically seen from 8:00am to 4:00pm daily which means the wait times during that time will be anywhere from 2-4 hours. Longer if a trauma patient arrives during that time.

Q3 - What should I bring with me to the hospital?

  • You need to bring your health card with you for each Emergency Department visit. Your health card is required with every visit to the Emergency Department, even if you had just been at the hospital the day before.

  • Bring in all of your medication in with you when you visit the Emergency Department. You should either bring a complete UP-TO-DATE medication list or bring in your medications with you.

Q4 - What can I expect from the hospital staff?

  • You can expect to be treated with considerate, courteous and respectful care. You will be provided with the information you need as well as privacy and confidentiality. * In turn, all patients need to follow hospital policy and respect others and their privacy and treat the hospital staff with respect and consideration.

Q5 - Why can I see staff sitting at the nursing desk?

  • We spend a lot of time sitting. We are required to enter and review a lot of electronic data related to the care of our patients (ie. blood work, past emergency visits, diagnostic test). So, yes, you will see us sitting in front of the computer from time to time. We also do a lot of communicating with other providers all over the health care system, which means we are often talking to, waiting to talk to, or trying to reach someone to talk to on the phone. This necessitates more sitting.

Did You Know?

The hospital has several vending machines placed throughout.

  • 1 - Emergency Department Waiting Area

  • 3 - Courtyard Lounge

  • 1 - Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop

Gift Shop Hours

  • Monday – Friday

    • 9:30 am – 11:30 am

    • 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

    • 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

  • Saturday

    • 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

  • Sunday

    • 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Additional Information

  • You should also consider bringing a snack and drink with you when you visit the Emergency Department,* however please make sure to ask the Nurse before eating to make sure it is ok to do so.

  • The hospital also now has an ATM, located near the main entrance to the hospital.

  • Parking is $3 for each time you exit the hospital parking lot. Remember to hang onto your parking ticket and pay for parking at the machine that is located at the main entrance beside the ATM.