Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, the role of emergency doctors has been in the spotlight more than ever before. Hospitals around the world recorded a surge in patients almost overnight. Emergency rooms, in particular, had to stretch their resources and go the extra mile to provide the best care to lots more people.
Besides the unusual situation that the pandemic generated, do you know what an emergency room physician does, in their day-to-day? Read our article to discover the main tasks of this all-important healthcare figure.
The Right Level of Education
To begin with, an emergency room doctor needs to have the right type of education. This, in the US, means that they need to complete standard medical school (which lasts, on average, four years) and then go on to study towards a specialty. The specialty includes a three-four year residency, at the end of which the doctor can begin practicing in the emergency room.
Diagnose, Stabilize, Treat
Emergency rooms in hospitals across the globe have one common goal. They welcome people who are experiencing, or have just experienced, an acute health problem or injury. These can be extremely varied: from a case of food poisoning to a broken bone, from a serious car accident to cuts and burns.
A doctor working in the emergency department will need to have a solid general knowledge of these conditions, and many, many more. Their aim is, in fact, to visit the patient, assess their condition and diagnose what is wrong with them.
Then, they will try to maintain them as stable as possible, and come up with the best treatment. All of this, of course, needs to be done in the shortest possible time.
Level-Headed, Confident, Personable
Time is of the essence, in healthcare in general but particularly when it comes to emergency medicine. So, medical professionals working in the emergency department will need to be quick on their feet.
They will need to remain calm even when under enormous pressure, and remember to be personable and kind towards their patients. This is a very difficult balance to strike, but one that is crucial in helping emergency doctors to avoid serious problems including, for example, accusations of medical malpractice.
If you are interested in the specific area of medical malpractice and negligence, you can learn more here.
A Day in the Life of an Emergency Room Physician
In this article, we offered you a brief overview of what an emergency room physician does in their day-to-day job. Alongside specific training and studies, a doctor working in the ER needs a strong knowledge of most illnesses and ailments. They need to be fast and level-headed, and provide patients with the best and most personable care.
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