Your Visit to the ED

Miller Children’s wants to make your trip to the emergency department and stress and worry free as possible.

Arriving

Your visit at the emergency department at Miller Children’s will begin with a triage nurse. You will go over your child’s current health, medical history and family history.

• Inform the nurse of any recent operations or major illnesses that your child has had.
• Bring a list of any current medications.
• Inform the health care team of drug allergies.

Registration

After triage, you will head over to the registration area where the secretary will ask you questions, such as your address and telephone number.

Miller Children’s will treat your child even if your insurer does not approve the visit. You will be asked to pay for the bill yourself. If this is a problem or you do not have insurance, our discharge planner can help you.

Waiting Room

You will be asked to wait in the waiting room if an exam room is not available. The triage nurse may tell you not to give your child anything to eat or drink while waiting. There are some toys available in the waiting room if your child or their siblings feel up to playing. Child Life Specialists are available to help lessen the anxieties and fears of your child.

During the busiest times, the sickest children are seen first.

Exam Room

As soon as possible, you and your child will be brought to an exam room where a team of doctors and nurses will care for your child. There are experienced emergency doctors, called attending physicians, who supervise care in the emergency department.

If your child needs blood tests, x-rays or other tests, it may take some time to get the results in order to help the physician diagnose your child’s illness. Please be patient. You may be asked to return to the waiting room during this time, because some tests could take some time to process.

A parent or guardian must stay with his or her child at all times. Two family members may stay with the child in the exam room. Other family members must stay in the waiting area, because of limited space in the patient care area.