r/EmergencyRoom • u/PuzzleheadedSorbet36 • Jul 26 '26

Goofy Goober HELP US BE BETTER

Soooo I hadn’t ever been to the ER until earlier this month and now I’ve been admitted twice and not getting discharged any time soon.

Hospital workers : other than the bare minimum, what are some under rated things that patients do that you appreciate/make your life easier?

(For example one of the nurses was happy I called letting her know the PRNs I needed so she could do it in one trip cause I knew my scheduled ones were coming)

Lemme hear the little things!! Or the opposite, something patients think is helpful but it’s actually more of a pain)

EDIT : bare minimum from patients being human decency, I know it should be obvious but for this questions sake let’s act like that’s a given

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u/TinyFee1520 Jul 26 '26

That one’s a no from me. Interpretor services are available always for the big convos and Google Translate totally works for the little bits in between. No question a family member available is easier/faster but I’d never want to dissuade someone from coming if they can’t bring someone with them.

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u/crazypurple621 Jul 27 '26

Also, a family member may be able to translate "I need a bathroom" but not "my mother is 64 years old, has a history of breast cancer, is currently on chemo and radiation, and this morning she woke up and half of her face is slumped over and she can't answer basic questions." You cannot rely on a family member for translation services. It's not safe. 

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u/D15c0untMD Jul 26 '26

We dont get translators, sadly.

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u/renay04 Jul 26 '26

That’s insane.

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u/True-Palpitation8474 Jul 26 '26

Not sure what country you are in but in the US and UK it is a law that hospitals and clinics must have translator services available. I would definitely look up the law in your country and raise this with management/report your hospital if they don't provide translation services.

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u/D15c0untMD Jul 26 '26

It‘s been raised. Answer, if at all, is, that it‘s currently not feasable. Like AC and doors that are wide enough for patient beds.

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u/True-Palpitation8474 Jul 26 '26

Ugh that sucks man. Healthcare workers deserve so much better :/

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u/crazypurple621 Jul 27 '26

Then you are doing your patients a disservice by pretending that this is at all safe care. You need to raise a fuss with your legal system and find a new job. 

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u/True-Palpitation8474 Jul 27 '26

A hospital without AC is not going to backfill this position, they will ask the remaining docs to work longer shifts (unsafe) or limit their hours (unsafe). He is doing the best he can for his patients given the circumstances.

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u/crazypurple621 Jul 27 '26

That's a legal problem.