Article: 5 Things You Must Know Before Visiting the ER

Getting sick or having an accident that lands you in the Emergency Room (ER)  is never a good day for anyone. The stress and fear around going to the hospital for help is only amplified by the overwhelming stimulation of an emergency room visit. ER’s are fast moving, loud, busy places and it can be daunting and frustrating if you are not familiar with this world. 

 As an ER nurse I’ve had to deal with a lot of different types of stress, fear and discomfort. Learning how to manage each person’s personal needs has been both rewarding and eye opening for how difficult navigating the healthcare system is. Regardless of what brings a person in to see us, their stress and nerves are apparent. Because of this I want to share my top 5 knowledge nuggets that will help make any future ER visits a little more tolerable. These 5 tips are based on my experience and what I’ve noticed makes people the most uncomfortable when they come in. 

ER tip #1: Be prepared to wait 

Yes that’s right ER’s are fast but not that fast. An average visit is 4 hours long and that is a minimum. You are also not going to be taken back into a room based on the order you arrived. More acute patients (acute means very sick and needs attention quickly such as a heart attack or stroke) will always be seen and treated first. 

ER tip #2: We will probably not feed you

It sounds harsh but expect to not eat or drink much in the ER. Oftentimes we can’t give you anything until all your labs and imaging come back just in case you may need a procedure requiring an empty stomach. Also not all ER’s have kitchens. They may have small snacks for emergency purposes but we do not provide full meals for our average patient. The average ER patient does receive some sort of supplemental IV fluids (electrolytes fluids that go directly into your bloodstream) so don’t worry about being dehydrated. 

ER tip #3: We may not have the answers 

More often than not we do not have a diagnosis or answer for you as to why you are feeling bad. We are looking for acute reasons to fix and if your complaint is not an immediate life threatening result we will refer you back to your primary care provider for follow up care. Sometimes your tests all come back negative. This doesn’t mean there is nothing wrong, it just means you aren’t in need of our services or an extended hospital stay. Bodies are really weird, mysterious things. Trust me, we wish we could give you an answer every time. 

ER tip #4: We will descend on you 

If you come in with certain complaints such as chest pain or weakness on one side of the body (signs of a heart attack or stroke) we will descend on you. There may be as many as 6 different people doing various tasks at once while one person, usually the doctor or nurse, is asking you a million questions. It can be very overwhelming and scary but we are working against the clock and our only imperative is making sure we get you the right care as quickly as possible. 

ER tip #5: Be prepared to answer the same questions multiple times  

You will be asked about why you are here a dozen times over. The best advice I can give is keep your answers as specific and brief as possible. The doctor and nurse will ask the more probing questions to build a picture of what’s going on. Yes everyone can read chart notes but we don’t always have the time to review a chart before giving care. We also each need our own assessments of what’s going to help build a comprehensive report so we can understand how to best help you. It can seem very repetitive and obnoxious but just roll with it. We aren’t trying to annoy you I promise. 

These 5 tips are by no means exhaustive but they will give you a fairly good idea of how to mentally prepare in case you must make a visit to the ER.   Hopefully that doesn’t happen, stay healthy and safe out there!