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

DemonWings · Jan 12, 2012

Im not an ER nurse but I once took my kid to the ER for her first allergic reaction (not anphylaxis) and the triage nurse told me the wait was about 8 hours, at which time I high tailed it out of there and went to wal-greens for some benadryl.

Personally the only times I have needed to go to the ER Ive never had to wait because it has always been an emergency that couldnt wait, but my grandmother went to the county ER and waited 10 hours to be seen. 23 hours seems rediculous, I think I would have gone to an urgent care.

Trekfan · Jan 12, 2012

Im not an ER nurse but I once took my kid to the ER for her first allergic reaction (not anphylaxis) and the triage nurse told me the wait was about 8 hours, at which time I high tailed it out of there and went to wal-greens for some benadryl. Personally the only times I have needed to go to the ER Ive never had to wait because it has always been an emergency that couldnt wait, but my grandmother went to the county ER and waited 10 hours to be seen. 23 hours seems rediculous, I think I would have gone to an urgent care.

The time I waited 23 hours I was already in the back (sent by my doc by ems ) I was addmented within one hour but had to wait 23 hours in the er for a room . They called me back and told me I needed to come back for more meds . I asked that the wait time would be and they told me hours . I said thanks but I will wait for the doc. Office to Handel it .

DemonWings · Jan 12, 2012

oh I see, I took my daughter to the hospital once and she ended up having to have surgery, we had to wait in the ER for over 24 hours until they were ready for pre-op because they had no beds in the peds department. So I guess its not that atypical, it does suck though, we were lucky because we actually had an ER room with a door, a lot of other folks were in the hallway beds for the same amount of time

leslie :-D · Jan 12, 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

yuzzamatuzz · Jan 12, 2012

I've had patients come to my floor having spent a full 24 hours in the ER. Not sure how long they were actually in the waiting room though, and the people who waited that long didn't come in with true "emergencies" even though they did need to be admitted. Anyone I've had on my floor who came in with a true emergency seems to have been treated pretty promptly. Personally I've never waited that long myself the few times I've been to the ER.

Trekfan · Jan 12, 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's nuts you should have suited ! What did they say when you should them the blood ? You should have called 911 and had them come there to get you .

Trekfan · Jan 12, 2012

As I was talking about above sadly my infection came back worsethis morning I had orderers for a picc,meds ,and zofram ,and fluids I told the doc I was not going to wait 9 pluse hours again for meds and to send them all me if I can hook up one med I can shore use the rest of the stuff as the ivs are plug and play now !Ps,when did they stop using needles in iv and to shoot meds into the iv line ?

Morainey, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2012

I've never had a long wait time in the ER personally, but I worked with the triage nurse in a pediatric ER during nursing school clinical. If it was a true emergency, like testicle torsion, they would take kids right back, but for something like diarrhea after taking an antibiotic they would let you sit.

nkochrn, RN · Jan 12, 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.

Morainey, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2012

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.

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · Jan 13, 2012

When I worked the ED we had a system set up that once all the rooms were full we would shuffle you through a quick exam room where one of the Docs or a PA/NP would start a work up and get orders going and then if stable back out to the waiting room where I have seen people wait up 8 hours for a bed in the back.

Now the wait to get admitted from a bed in the back I have seen up to 48 hours, because we would have psych holds and there would be no availble beds anywhere even at other hospitals