Bylinebriee,
this is about to happen in the US?
Not sure who is allowed to do what in US, but in reallity (in Europe):
1. Comming to a clinic, the first contact is with a nurse, who asks what happened, takes personal data (name, age..), asks about insurance, and judges, if the man needs to be checked immediately, or he can wait (there's usually some queewe). If it's a crawded clinic, this nurse stays there and accepts other patients and does not follow the man.
2. When he's invited to step into the ambulance, another nurse tells him to undress partly, checks his pulse and measures his blood pressure. She may ask again what happened. She may clean his head wound and cover it with a gauze. This is pretty much all what a nurse can do and then a doctor (a specialist, someone experienced, working there for some time already) takes him.
3. A doctor asks the man if he can recall what has happened and when, did he hit the ground with the head, asks about head and neck pain, nausea, blurred vision, unusual sounds, tingling/numbness anywhere in the body, ability to move all limbs. This takes 1-2 mins.
4. After that, the doctor asks the man to undress (keeps underpants) and performs a body examination. He checks if pupil sizes are equal and how they react to direct light, checks ears, nose, mouth, throat for eventual bleeding. He carefully checks his head for eventual bone fractures. If he suspects fracture, he asks the nurse to arrange an X-ray. If fracture is not likely, but brain damage is suspected, he asks nurse to arrange CT or MRI of the head. None of these investigations are mandatory; it depends on symptoms. The doctor listens man's heart with a stethoscope. Checks abdomen for eventual painful spots. Inspects all over his skin for injuries. Checks coordination (finger-to-nose), reflexes in elbows and knees, strenght in limbs, asks him to close eyes and asks if he feels something while touching his face, arms, legs with a gauze (checking sensitivity). Checks his knee and gives diagnosis - is it sprained, fractured, disclocated...All this may take 15-30 mins.
5. This or another doctor makes stitches to his head wound and the nurse (they are usually more nurses there) assists him - offers disinfection liquid, scalpel, scisors, needle...This part takes about 15 mins.
6. On the end of this procedure one of the nurses takes records of all what the patient has said and what was done and found - as doctor dictates her.
7. If CT/MRI is available immediately, one nurse goes with the man to a special room (may be at some distance place within a clinic or even another clinic). After CT/MRI they - the man and the nurse - come back to the first doctor, and the nurse gives the doctor imaging results. If results are OK, the doctor decides if the man can be released - the man probably signs up something.
8. The knee injury is treated by an orthopedist later that day. Aspirating fluid from the knee or a splint might be needed, probably painkillers.
9. It's not the nurse who asks if he needs some medication, but the nurse gives medication if ordered by the doctor. The nurse does not make stitches. Stitches will need to be removed after few days at the same place or by man's personal doctor.
10. I need a native English speaking doctor to proofread my health articles.
