Emergency Room – Waiting

Transcript

Waiting can definitely try anyone’s patience. And it can be even more frustrating to see someone who checked in later than us go back to a room before we do. Why does that even happen? Most ERs do not work on a strict first come, first serve basis. The nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals who work in ERs, take their responsibility to serve very seriously and they want to attend to everyone’s need for care as fast as possible. However, that also means that they do their best to first see those patients who are most at risk of a life-threatening or otherwise serious injury or illness. It is also important to remember that things can change. And the ER is very dynamic. When someone is waiting, either in the waiting room or in their treatment room, it is important to alert a staff member if there is a concerning change or worsening in some way. In an ideal world, we would never have to wait. However, those of us who have been a patient in the ER, know that most ER visits will involve at least some waiting. One of the advantages of going to the ER is that no appointment is necessary. That said, the downside with that is that sometimes we’ll be busier than others and it can be difficult or even impossible to predict exactly when that will happen. So during those busy times, there may be more waiting than usual.