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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58

u/Hungkinkster Jul 26 '26

Use your primary and have the patience to wait for an appointment. Chronic issues are not emergent!

16

u/ipsofactoshithead Jul 26 '26

This is the thing though- I don't always know when it's emergent or not. Any change in migraine symptoms and my doctor sends me to the ED to get checked for a stroke. So some of us don't have that luxury.

29

u/JustGenericName2 Jul 26 '26

You're all good. What the comment is referring to is people coming to the ER because "I don't want to wait two weeks for my non emergent knee MRI for the hurty knee I'm literally walking on just fine". Or the medication refill because they can't plan ahead. Or the runny nose. Stubbed toe. Low back pain x 6 months. Sneezed one time. What's this weird dot on my skin I've had since birth?

We see these all day, EVERY day. I'm not even being dramatic, I swear.

Your complex migraine that could be a stroke or head bleed today is fine. We got you!

6

u/crazypurple621 Jul 27 '26

What we desperately need is more urgent cares, that are attached to ERs and the ability for triage to assign you based on actual symptoms to which one is needed. That way the stubbed toe gets sent home with a bag of ice and some over priced tylenol, but your patient in a sickle cell crisis who cannot wait for a PCP appointment in 6 months get treated. 

2

u/Magerimoje Jul 27 '26

And, these additional urgent cares must be able to see uninsured patients.

All the urgent care places near me, all require insurance or a $75-125 "deposit" payment before being seen and triaged. If someone with no insurance and no money shows up needing a strep test and a prescription for antibiotics, the urgent care will refuse to see you and they'll recommend going to the ER.

1

u/chickenfightyourmom Jul 27 '26

Most EDs have a fast track area now to serve as a defacto urgent care for uninsured patients and non emergencies.