graynor11

Not wishing for an assessment. Just wondering if anyone has seen a patient under similar circumstances and if they believed the patient should have just stayed home and buddy taped or if the doctors trip/ ER visit was necessary.

I'd love to but they have changed their hours and no longer accept walk ins. I also have to work in about 12 hours and am trying to determine if I should go to the ER or if I should wait for the doctors office to open. Their hours of operation are close to the beginning of my shift and I don't want to risk calling in unless I have to.

So, yesterday afternoon I was walking through a door way and my damn cats tried to trip me. Ended up bashing my toe off the door frame. Swore a bit, and limped off. Realized 5 minutes later that my toe was bleeding. Clean, dried and put a band aid on it. It is now red, warm to the touch(my toes and hands are freezing almost year round), and I have an open wound. This is my pinky toe. I have read online that an open wound should send me to the ER. However I don't wanna waste time when someone else could need it. The wound is right above the end of my toenail(tip of toe) and the skin that tore has sort of stuck to the wound. Emergency room? Doctors Office? Buddy tape and ice? Obviously I'm not a nurse but I figured I would waste less of peoples time this way.