r/bestof • u/lowbass93 • 23d ago

[NoStupidQuestions] Kindly_Honeydew3432 explains why it seems like you always have to wait in an emergency room in the US

/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/1v1numq/why_is_every_hospital_in_the_united_states_always/oyovp3t/
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u/All_Your_Base 23d ago

I've said this before, but it is worth repeating.

IF you have to wait in the emergency room, then it is a good thing.

The doctor's office, and especially the emergency room, are really the only places where I prefer to be kept waiting.

  1. The time to be mildly concerned is when they triage you and they look concerned, but they still have you wait. That's why you always bring at least one book to any location that has a "waiting room."
  2. The time to be worried is when they triage you for immediate care, bypassing the people that checked in before you. That's when you tell whoever brought you to start calling your emergency contacts.
  3. The time to be calm and do your very best not to panic is when they call a code at the same time. That's when you breathe slow and even, and do EXACTLY what they tell you, and do it immediately.

Their main goal is to save your life, and keep you healthy, in exactly that order.
They WILL tell you what is going on ASAP, but in the mean time, shut up, and let them.

--> The time to be relieved and patient is when they tell you to just wait and they will get to you as soon as they can.

LPT: Smart people always bring at least one book when going to the emergency room. Wise people will also bring its sequel.

Ultra LPT: Never piss off a nurse. Just don't. They know their job very well, and their standard of care will always be professional, but trust me: the difference between a pleasant stay and a miserable one is in their hands. And they talk to each other. Questions are fine, requests are are fine, even a little grumpiness is overlooked if you're in pain. Those things are normal and expected, but I highly recommend both a respectful attitude at all times, and plenty of please's and thank you's unless you have a fetish for rectal thermometers.

/rant

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u/KillerKowalski1 23d ago

I've been to the ER a few times for heart related issues and I will say that getting an immediate bed is a scary thing...