Misconceptions of an ER Vist by Park Bishop

There are many misconceptions of an ER visit. You see sign boards saying “No wait ER” and “Seen within 15 minutes”, but how does the ER really function?

If you ever visited an ER you probably noticed that your “no wait” and “seen within 15 minutes” seem to slowly edge to the wayside. The reason for this needs explaining. Are these hospital ER’s advertisements true? I will let you decide.

You may have been seen with in 15 minutes, or at times have a no wait time when you went to the ER, but my question is, “Who is seeing me during these first fifteen minutes?” My recent visit to the ER was a “no wait” status because I was having chest pain. Much to my surprise it was a nurse who saw me first, yes I said a nurse. She is called a triage nurse, one who prioritizes and assists in deciding who gets seen first and the next available ER bed based on medical need.

So, when you are seen or not seen in 15 minutes, consider that there are many contributory factors. You have emergency vehicles bringing in patients, and by the way, they DO get first preference and they should, you have individuals with chest pain, individuals who may be hemorrhaging (that’s excessive bleeding), fractures, respiratory distress, a woman giving birth, already you are number 7 (seven) on the list to be seen, or taken back to an ER bed, assuming a bed is available. These are true emergencies.

The next time you go to the ER and you wait, wait, and wait, understand that other individuals who are displaying real emergency signs will be seen first, and you may have to wait a lengthy time to see a physician. I hope this clears up some misconceptions of why you have to wait during your ER visit.