Emergent patients are those that come to you suddenly and unexpectedly with an acute sickness which, without immediate attention, could threaten their lives or result in a permanent disability. Make sure you follow these steps when admitting an emergent patient:
- If there are any open appointment slots for urgent care, or if an on-call physician is on duty, schedule the patient as an emergent.
- If there are no appointment slots available, ask for an urgent-care physician or an on-call provider.
- On his or her chart, place a red sticker in the top right corner with an appropriate emergency code and circle it, so that your nurses and physicians are aware.
- If your patient is able, collect the necessary co-pay at check-in, and then direct the patient to the trauma room if a nurse is not available to do so.
