So you want to go the Emergency Room?

Dearest readers,

I know having to go to the ER can be a frightening and overwhelming experience to those who do not work in the health-care industry. Here are some tips to help things go as smoothly as possible:

1) Please refer here: http://emergencynights.blogspot.com/2008/10/definition-of-emergency.html for what are NOT considered emergencies, therefore saving you a visit (and me the headache) altogether.

2) Bring this http://emergencynights.blogspot.com/2008/10/identify-yourself_21.html with you.

2) When you walk through the sliding doors, read the giant sign that you can't miss that says "Wait behind the yellow line for the Triage nurse to speak to you". This aforementioned line, being the thick neon yellow line at your feet. Sometimes the nurse is busy triaging other patients. Do not fret, she will be with you as soon as she can. Do not:
A. Over step the yellow line to bang on the glass.
B. Come over to my desk yelling that you need to be seen ASAP, because your
toe hurts; I can do nothing for you until you have been triaged and are in the
computer system.
C. Hurl abuse at the other patients waiting, bemoaning the state of the health care
system, and telling them that your injury/illness is much worse that theirs; I'm
sure they don't appreciate it.

3) When the nurse is available she/he will ask you for your ID, and what the matter is. If she is not at the window when you first arrive, perhaps you can use this time effectively to think about what it is that has brought you to the ER, so when she or he asks you, you can give a concise, to the point answer. After taking your details you will be either asked to come into the booth for a full triage, or asked to sit in the wait room. Sometimes we get busy in the emergency, so wait times can be long...yelling abuse at the ER staff will not help things go quicker, FYI.

4) After you have been triaged in one of the booths, where the nurse will ask you questions about your illness/injury, and take your BP and temperature you will sent to one of three areas:
A. The acute side
B. The treatment area
C. Back in the waiting area, until there is a bed available for you.

5) This is when you get to talk to me. I will come around to either your bed, or have you come up to my admitting window. I will ask you lots of questions, some of which may sound irrelevant and annoying, but trust me are important. Perhaps something else you can think about while you are waiting to see the nurse, is who you would like to have down as your Next Of Kin contact, preferably a family member.

Please to not tell me that you have no one to put down; I will settle for a friend or colleague in a pinch. The worst thing is when patients are brought into the ER unconscious, or very badly injured and they have no contacts on their chart, no one to notify. Please also to not act like it is a big hassle when I ask you these questions, you are the one who decided to come to the ER, and this is my job. I'm sorry asking you for your phone number is the most annoying thing on the planet, but it is my job, so deal.

6) After I have finished getting all your details, I will give you a snazzy little bracelet to wear which will have your name, date of birth, health care number, hospital number and date on it. Please keep it on at all times until you have been discharged. This wrist band is how hospital staff know they are running the right tests of the right patients; drawing bloods, doing a cardiogram etc. Do not pull it off and stuff it in your pocket, or throw it out.


After all of that, the doctor will come and assess you and things will proceed along from there. Hopefully this post has been helpful in quelling some of your fears and has given you some tricks as to how to make your trip to the emerg. run as smoothly as possible, and how not to act like a douche-bag to the staff therefore, helping ensure a high quality of patient care, and a happy home-life for those of us who have to treat you.

Thank you for your time.