What's the longest er wait time you have Even seen

DixieRedHead, ASN, RN · Jan 13, 2012

While I realize mistakes are made, the majority of the time, if you wait 24 hours in the ER, it wasn't an emergency in the first place.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Jan 13, 2012

wow!
i just have never encountered an er where the wait was many, many hours.
that's insane.
many yrs ago, my then-husband, carried me into the er, as i was lady partslly bleeding profusely.
still, i waited in the er for 3 hours before my ex decided to bring me to another hospital.
he had pointed out the bloody mess that i had made on their seats...and still, no one came.
when we arrived at the other hospital, i was taken stat...
where i was later informed, i had been 4 months pregnant and miscarried.
later, the 1st hospital had the sheer audacity to send me an er bill.
i ignored them until a collection agcy contacted me.
when i told them what happened, and then encouraged that hospital to bring me to court, the collection agency had nothing to say after that...
and never heard from anyone again.
i was told to sue the pants off of them, which i opted against.
that was a true emergency, making 3 hours (and still not seen) downright inexcusable.
the waiting room wasn't even crowded.
it's hard to believe this hospital is still in business.
leslie

Wow. That is horrible. I'm glad you are alive. So sorry for your lost.

tokmom, BSN, RN · Jan 13, 2012

fifteen hours I sat and waited with a sick husband. It sucked.

umcRN, BSN, RN · Jan 14, 2012

10 hours in the waiting room, 3 in the back. I had just been diagnosed with a large brain tumor by a neurologist who advised me to go to a specialty center. Unfortunately my radiology report hadnt been written yet so he just sent me to this hospitals ER with my MRI cd and a note from him. Great guy but there must have been a better way, I spent all those hours with a severe headache, vomiting because my ICP was so high and ultimately spent the night in the ICU and had the tumor removed a week later

Hagabel · Jan 14, 2012

Here in NZ I work at a busy 600 bedded hospital and our wait times, when we are busy can be 6-8 hrs, for 4's and 5's. Otherwise 2-3 hrs is usual unless we are really quiet or you are a category 1 or 2, or kids as we have a separate kids ED. We also have a consult area where pts are seen and then sent back to waiting room with iv's, meds given, bloods done etc.

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Jan 14, 2012

In rural nursing, if you have a wait in the ER it's either b/c it's not an emergency and the doc is busy in clinic OR the ER is overflowing. People get upset when they aren't seen immediately.

People for some reason dont seem to under stand what the word EMERGENCY means. If you can walk up to the triage desk and harass us for a "pain pill" for dental pain x 10days and u decided to come in NOW. your gonna have to sit and let the people who walked in their baby with a 104* temp be seen first.

My MIL went to the ER for chest pain, but they did an EKG right when she got there, then she was shown to a room where the MD didn't come in for 45 minutes. They were a little huffy about it at first, but I told them if it was an MI then they would have been seen immediately. It's not like being seated at a restaurant, nor is it first come first served.

They got the EKG and it showed no acute problem thankfully.

When patients crab at me about not getting seen, or this that whatever, i have to put the brakes on stop them and say look, you are not the only one here in the hospital, not the only one in ER. There are other people here who are also being seen, some more sick than others. The doc knows you are here, and aware of what is going on.

i think patients forget that sometimes that they are NOT the only patient there.

MADDOG70, BSN · Jan 14, 2012

im an ER nurse and I have to say that most primary care doctors send their patients to the ER to be seen so that they dont get sued and because some are just plain lazy. They would rather the ER Dr do the assessment and work up then themselves. They can easily direct admit the patient but that would take them to make a call and call in orders instead of having the ER Dr write orders.

This is just part of the problem in the ER. The other reasons are illegal immigration, no insurance, the economy etc etc.

Society: A society of instant gratification, high importance and somebody do it for me: We are seeing more and more people wanting to be taken care of instantly like its a drive thru at a fast food place and thinking they are more important than the Stroking gramma or 47 yr old acute MI. They want to be taken care of now and not have to wait to see a Dr in the office tomorrow or take care of themselves at home first. The other thing about society is lawsuit crazy! ER Drs are so afraid of missing something and getting sued they order unnecessary tests and clog the ERs for many hours. Long gone is the Dr. that will go by pure instinct and education and risk being sued and not order every test under the sun.

No insurance: greater number of people in this country are out of work and have no insurance therefore they go to the ER instead of a Dr office where they will have to pay up front for the bill instead of getting billed later from the ER.

Illegal immigration: No health insurance, no Dr., communication barriers (waiting on translators), ignorant (lack of education)to the fact that what they are complaining of isnt really an Emergency. Unable to afford a Dr visit or dont know where to go except ER's . Fevers and vomiting babies can be managed at home for at least 2-3 days before needing a Dr. Lack of education plays a role in all scenarios

Economy: again, loss of health insurance and if you are lucky enough to have insurance you cant afford the bill your still going to get (deductables, co pays) So they wait until the last minute and they are so ill they take up the room in the ER.

The next time you or a loved one needs to go to the ER.... ask yourself ....what can I do for myself before I go seek the Emergency room? Call your Drs office to see if you can get in that day or the next day. Can my Dr direct admit me instead (you can insist on this too with your Dr) Am I willing to wait up to 10 hours in a waiting room or in the comfort of my home instead and see my Dr in the AM? ...because this is the reality now and its getting worse.

Trekfan · Jan 14, 2012

10 hours in the waiting room, 3 in the back. I had just been diagnosed with a large brain tumor by a neurologist who advised me to go to a specialty center. Unfortunately my radiology report hadnt been written yet so he just sent me to this hospitals ER with my MRI cd and a note from him. Great guy but there must have been a better way, I spent all those hours with a severe headache, vomiting because my ICP was so high and ultimately spent the night in the ICU and had the tumor removed a week later

That's horrible I do not think think people in pain should be made to wait ! I just have 2 rambling commmonts my doctor did the same thing when she sent me to a out of state hospital By the time I got I was so sick I went state to the er the hospital mostly saw out of state people the er was just cramed with very sick people waiting to see these doctors !I do think it also has a lot to do with the trage nurse not what wrong with you many times I have been taken back before others who seemed to be much worse off then I was at the time . And that time I had the 9 hour Waite and had ivs and meds in the waiting they took a guy with a stubbed toe right back yes I said (toe) ? I also felt very ,very bad for the baby that was coughing bad and weezing and his mom gave up after 3 hours and just went home . But They did at the same time the baby was there take back a kid and the 9 people that came with her just to shut them up after one of the reavies went nuts and tried to beat up a woman for looking at her ?? " they should have tossed the whole lot out" not reward them by taking them right back with the cops ? And they looked to be nothing wrong with her at all.

Trekfan · Jan 14, 2012

im an ER nurse and I have to say that most primary care doctors send their patients to the ER to be seen so that they dont get sued and because some are just plain lazy. They would rather the ER Dr do the assessment and work up then themselves. They can easily direct admit the patient but that would take them to make a call and call in orders instead of having the ER Dr write orders. This is just part of the problem in the ER. The other reasons are illegal immigration, no insurance, the economy etc etc. Society: A society of instant gratification, high importance and somebody do it for me: We are seeing more and more people wanting to be taken care of instantly like its a drive thru at a fast food place and thinking they are more important than the Stroking gramma or 47 yr old acute MI. They want to be taken care of now and not have to wait to see a Dr in the office tomorrow or take care of themselves at home first. The other thing about society is lawsuit crazy! ER Drs are so afraid of missing something and getting sued they order unnecessary tests and clog the ERs for many hours. Long gone is the Dr. that will go by pure instinct and education and risk being sued and not order every test under the sun. No insurance: greater number of people in this country are out of work and have no insurance therefore they go to the ER instead of a Dr office where they will have to pay up front for the bill instead of getting billed later from the ER. Illegal immigration: No health insurance, no Dr., communication barriers (waiting on translators), ignorant (lack of education)to the fact that what they are complaining of isnt really an Emergency. Unable to afford a Dr visit or dont know where to go except ER's . Fevers and vomiting babies can be managed at home for at least 2-3 days before needing a Dr. Lack of education plays a role in all scenariosEconomy: again, loss of health insurance and if you are lucky enough to have insurance you cant afford the bill your still going to get (deductables, co pays) So they wait until the last minute and they are so ill they take up the room in the ER. The next time you or a loved one needs to go to the ER.... ask yourself ....what can I do for myself before I go seek the Emergency room? Call your Drs office to see if you can get in that day or the next day. Can my Dr direct admit me instead (you can insist on this too with your Dr) Am I willing to wait up to 10 hours in a waiting room or in the comfort of my home instead and see my Dr in the AM? ...because this is the reality now and its getting worse.

True you hit the nail on the head ,

Trekfan · Jan 14, 2012

"Economy: again, loss of health insurance and if you are lucky enough to have insurance you cant afford the bill your still going to get (deductables, co pays) So they wait until the last minute and they are so ill they take up the room in the ER. "My reg, doctor office just told me even though I have 2 ins.plans I would have to pay cash up front to see the doctor $175-450 min. They wanted $260 when they told me this .gees I will not be going to see him anytime soon . If I go to uergent care or the er it ends up Being cheep or free in the end ?

Larry77, RN · Jan 14, 2012

Last time I checked this is a message board about ER nursing not about complaining that people have to wait for nonemergencies or inpatient beds in the ER...just sayin'

I think I'll go to the surgery message board and complain about surgeons bedside manner now...

JDZ344 · Jan 14, 2012

Usually it's around 4 hours, that is the UK wide standard. Never seen anything drastically above that, maybe up to 6 on busy days. Some of these times are crazy!