Why you’re waiting so long in the emergency room

You would think an emergency room is a place to get medical care quickly, but the “first come - first served” doesn’t apply here – and the person who walks in an hour after you might see the doctor before you do. The Emergency Room has an incredible mix of injuries and illnesses, so even if you’re dealing with something serious, if it’s unlikely to get worse in the next few hours, you still might not be at the top of the list.

Why is the wait so long?

The emergency department is interconnected with a much larger web of people and services around the whole hospital. From the highly specialized emergency department (E.D) nurses who are in charge of accessing patients and keeping things organized on the front lines to the doctors and on-call specialists who are connected to all the labs and networks of testing services. So if there’s a wait for a certain room, machine, or specialist, that can affect people throughout the hospital - including in the emergency department. There’s a lot of moving parts move in your favor.

What is Triage?

Emergency departments are carefully staffed with doctors, but similar to a busy restaurant, if it’s packed, there’s going to be longer wait lines. Unlike a walk-in, an emergency room is not a first come, first serve place.

Emergency rooms staffs have to determine the severity of a patients’ ailment and recognize if they need medical attention urgently, and they do this with a process called, Triage - which means ‘to sort.’

The French leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, first coined triage. His army clinics were overwhelmed with wounded soldiers, so his Chief Surgeon realized they needed a system on how to treat these soldiers dealing with the urgency and seriousness of their injuries.

Triage nurses are specially trained to pick up on clues that might make your condition more time sensitive, making their job both an art and a science. And when conditions can change while waiting, it’s important to talk to the emergency staff to keep them updated on your fluctuations.

The 4 Basic Rules of Emergency Department Engagement

While waiting for medical attention can seem like a tedious process, it’s important to know that these professionals are working their hardest to treat patients effectively in a timely manner.

With that in mind, here are the four commandments of emergency rooms to be conscious of.

1. Every patient can have one additional friend or family member with them in an examination room.
2. Keep your cell phone or camera in your pocket or purse.
3. Keep the area clean and sanitize your hands.
4. Make the emergency room safe for all staff.

Why Being Discharged is the Most Important Part of the Visit

Waiting to see the doctor can seem overwhelming with lots of possible outcomes running through your mind. Take the time to absorb the final calls to action that are in place with your doctor. Have them write out a summary for you or take some notes so you have a succinct direction for what’s next.

Here are a few items to remember.

• Do I understand the questions?
• Do I know my next steps?
• Should I be monitoring for certain signs?
• Are there any red flags I need to watch?
• What prescriptions do I need?
• What follow up appointments are required?

It’s also important to bring any prescriptions you’re taking along with the clear spelling of your family doctors’ contact information. Don’t feel like you’re being rushed out as well. Take the extra few minutes to make sure you’re leaving there with all your questions asked.

Watch the full whiteboard video right here for more on how emergency rooms work.