Quote:
Originally Posted by dbussone
Wow. Please re-read it. Patients/people are the reason hospitals exist.
And yes, there are some people in the ER who don't need to be there. The ER is not a substitute for a primary care physician. Nor is it a place to try and get drugs if you're an addict. People abuse ERs all over the country- and some people suffer needlessly because space is taken by those who don't need to be there. If you think otherwise I'd encourage you to seek out a nurse or physician who works or worked in one.
Just like ambulances are not taxis. But there are people who abuse them as well. Next time you see a first responder just ask them.
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Well said! I can very well add to that. Once, when my husband was in CCU, his daughter and I were about to go into the hospital to see him. We encountered a young couple who asked us if we had a light. I told them that we didn't and that they could not smoke on the premises, anyway. The girl then said that she knew that, but they would go across the street. She then said, "I have to go to the emergency room and I know it will be a long wait, so we wanted to have a cigarette first." That, is NOT an emergency as I define emergency.
As for a long wait for a room, what do they expect....the hospital to throw someone out just so they can have their bed? That's not how it works, either. And, as far as beds go, the hospital is not co-ed. That means that even if there is one, it has to go to the correct gender.
Hospitals are not 5-star hotels, but that is the service that some think they should receive. Medicine is not fast-food, either. Some expect that also, especially at doctors offices and dismissal from the hospital. I got rid of one doctor that told me he didn't have time for me to ask another question. Everyone wants the best doctors, but are not willing to wait their turn and constantly accuse them of poor management or overbooking. Hospital dismissal is a process: Just because Doctor A says you can go home today doesn't mean that the other doctors are on board with that nor are they going to drop everything just to accommodate you. Then there's paperwork to be done, IV's to remove, and the list goes on. Meanwhile, other patients' needs have to be met...they are staying. I have finally convinced some of the doctors to tell their patients that they can go home today, not immediately, but sometime today.