The Emergency Department (ED) in Connolly Hospital provides 24/7 care to all adult patients, 16 years of age and older, presenting with acute undifferentiated illness or injury. It serves a catchment population of 330,000 people in one of the youngest, fastest growing and most ethnically diverse areas of Ireland. Its location/accessibility off the M50, the large hospital grounds and the local age profile were key factors in its selection as a site for one of two Paediatric Urgent Care Centres, satellite centres of the National Children’s Hospital.
Patient Journey
Walk in patients need to register at reception before triage by one of the ED nurses. Ambulance patients are brought directly into the department where triage takes place. Triage is a process whereby a nurse uses a combination of factors to allocate a treatment priority to a patient. This process allows the sickest patients be seen first. The next stage of care involves review by one of the Emergency Department Clinicians, this may be a Doctor or a Specialist Nurse. After assessment, a decision will be made whether any investigations or interventions will be needed. If a patient needs specialist opinion for their condition, then they are either referred to the inpatient team in Connolly, or to a Specialty Service in another hospital. Sometimes, patients can be admitted under the care of the Emergency Department Consultant to the Clinical Decision Unit or Chest Pain Assessment Unit within the ED. Otherwise the patient will be discharged home. The ED does not routinely offer follow-up care for patients, although, on occasion, they will ask a patient to return to a Review Clinic.
The Team and the facilities
Patient care is provided by 3 Emergency Medicine Consultants, a team of Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors and is supported by a strong team of Nurses, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists and Allied health Professionals. The department has two Patient Liaison Officers. A new department was opened in 2004 and hosts a 3-bedded Resus Area, 15 cubicles, a 6 bedded Observation Area (Clinical Decision Unit and Chest Pain Observation Area), an Ambulatory Care area, 2 treatment rooms and a room for mental health assessment.
Learn more about our staff in the ED
Minor Injury Unit – Emergency Department
There is a dedicated Minor Injury Unit within the ED.
This is a Nurse Led Service established in 2003 and is managed by Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioners (RANP’s) specialising in emergency care of limb injuries.
Using locally agreed protocols and guidelines they treat and manage patients who present with trauma to the upper limb (shoulder to fingers) and lower limb (knee to toes).
This includes:
- Fractures
- Sprains
- Soft tissue injuries
- Wounds
- Minor burns
- Infections
Minor head injuries are also managed.
There are three RANP’s who led the service and report to the Emergency Medicine Consultants within the ED.
They also refer to other services within the hospital such as Orthopaedic and Trauma, Plastic Surgery, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy.
They also liaise with GP’s and Public Health Nurses in the community.
This service is provided seven days a week (including bank holidays) and hours are 8am to 9pm.
