Join Emergency Department

The Waikato Hospital Emergency Department (ED) is a 55-bed facility that has five resuscitation bays, two negative pressure rooms, procedure rooms, an adult short-stay unit and two low-stimulation rooms for patients experiencing mental health concerns.

There is a separate paediatric area with its own waiting room and single rooms for patients with respiratory presentations. There is a consult area for low-acuity presentations.

Recently upgraded, the department aims to provide a better experience for patients and visitors and an improved working environment for staff. There is a new triage area with multiple assessment rooms. With the new layout, clinicians can divert possible infectious patients away from the public to appropriate assessment areas.

Waikato Hospital has one of the busiest emergency departments in New Zealand, managing approximately 90,000 presentations a year.  The acuity is high with an admission rate of 35 to 40 per cent. Approximately 25 per cent of presentations are paediatric and 22 per cent are trauma related. All major specialties are based on-site except for paediatric neurosurgery.

Waikato Hospital was the first in New Zealand to be accredited as a Level 1 trauma centre. The ED receives multi-trauma patients from a widespread region of the North Island.

The Waikato ED is classified by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) as a Major Referral Centre and is accredited for 36 months of ACEM training.  Trainees benefit from exposure to a diverse range of cross-cultural presentations and have plenty of procedural opportunities.  

We are a clinical team that includes 30 FACEMs (Fellow of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine), four MOSSs (Medical Officers of Special Scale), and 39 RMOs (Resident Medical Officers, which include 34 registrars and five SHOs - Senior House Officers).

During the day, FACEMs are present on the floor for 18 hours, and then they are on-call overnight. Overnight, there is on-floor seniority provided by either MOSSs or our senior registrars. Our SMO (Senior Medical Officer) workforce has a diverse expertise and research profile, with backgrounds in pre-hospital care, toxicology, medical education, point-of-care ultrasound and administration.

The nursing team consists of nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, charge nurse managers, nurse educators and over 200 nursing staff. Additionally, we have other workforce members, including health care assistants, allied health staff and attendants.

Photo: Some of the Waikato ED team at local surf beach, Raglan.

Teaching is an integral part of Unit life at our institution, achieved through nurse education, formal weekly medical teaching, and active bedside teaching. We place a high value on education and maintain an active teaching program within our department.

Our RMO’s participate in a weekly teaching session covering a range of topics including simulation, procedural training, paediatric emergency medicine, toxicology, basic and advanced ECG interpretation, major trauma, human factors, cultural competency and environmental medicine. There are additional teaching streams for SHOs and trainees not currently undergoing exam preparation.

ACEM trainees preparing for Primary and Fellowship Examination will have a separate teaching schedule. We take pride in our department's achievement of consistently high passing rates for both exams.  

Our proactive Point-of-care ultrasound faculty of five FACEMs, provides real-time on-the-floor USS supervision and education during weekdays.  ACEM accreditation for USS is provided and encouraged. 

Fellowship

This emergency department provides a unique opportunity for a Fellowship in point-of-care ultrasound, designed for junior FACEM or FACEM who like to develop specific expertise in point-of-care ultrasound.

During the fellowship you can work towards further qualifications to ASUM CCPU and DDU levels.

Diversity & Mentorship

We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to providing high-quality care to all patients. We are committed to creating a department where everyone feels welcome and where everyone can thrive.

Our department has a mentoring programme and each RMO is paired with a FACEM mentor.  Peer support is available to those who require assistance with the emotional impact of a stressful event.