Edwards Plainfield Er Wait Time (2024)

FAQs

Why am I waiting so long in the ER? ›

“We know that there is overcrowding in the ED,” said lead author Renee Y. Hsia, MD, a UCSF professor of emergency medicine. “Capacity has largely failed to match the rise in patient demand.” The paper published June 22, 2023 in JAMA Network Open.

From my experience in working in the ER and according to several studies, including a report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the least busy times at the ER are during the early morning hours, specifically between 3 a.m. and 9 a.m. During these hours, there are usually fewer patients, leading to ...

Leaving the ER before seeing a healthcare provider can result in your condition worsening. Without proper medical evaluation, you might not receive the necessary interventions in time, leading to preventable complications.

Be specific: Describe your symptoms in detail. Instead of saying “I feel sick,” explain the specific symptoms you are experiencing, such as nausea, dizziness, or chest pain. This will help the medical staff understand the urgency of your situation. Use descriptive language: Paint a vivid picture of your symptoms.

ERs generally see a decline in patient visits during the early morning hours. Furthermore, weekends, in contrast to popular belief, also tend to be less crowded. If your condition is not life-threatening but still requires immediate medical attention, considering these off-peak hours might be beneficial.

At all times, even when the ER isn't crowded or busy, we prioritize patients according to how serious their conditions are. After checking in at the Registration Desk, the triage nurse will check your condition. People with a life-threatening illness or injury (heart attack, stroke, etc.)

Monday: Often considered the busiest day at the ER, it's believed that people delay seeking medical care over the weekend and then head to the ER once the work week begins.

An optimal arrival to proper triage of the patient should occur in 10-15 minutes. As patients wait in busy emergency rooms, they should advise the nursing staff if there have been any changes in their condition.

What are the five levels of triage? ›

“The busiest time starts around 6 p.m.; Mondays are the worst. We're slowest from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. If you have a choice, come early in the morning.” Denise King, R.N., Riverside, Calif.

Learn more about the methodology here. Nationwide, the median time patients spent in the ED was 162 minutes, up from 159 minutes in the 12-month period ending in March 2022, according to CMS data. In the same period ending in 2021, this figure sat at 149 minutes. Here's how each state and Washington, D.C., stacks up.

A patient might need complicated help such as in-home care, a wheelchair, or oxygen. The doctor who ordered the discharge has to sign off when everything necessary has been done, and that doctor might be doing a four-hour surgery or be otherwise busy at the moment.

Patients are seen based on a “triage system” – that is, the severity of the patient's condition. Every new patient is given an initial medical evaluation. Patients with a critical illness or injury are seen first.

Limited Bed Capacity: When all available beds are occupied, it hinders the ability of medical staff to attend to incoming patients promptly; Complex Cases: Patients with complex medical conditions may require longer hospital stays, further exacerbating boarding challenges.

In general, the more specialized the healthcare provider, the more patient you may need to be. The fewer healthcare providers in any given specialty who practice in your geographical area, the more time you'll have to wait, too. If you visit an internist who consistently makes you wait an hour, that is too long.

Reasons for long hospital stays include continued medical care such as therapy, surgical interventions, and chemotherapy or radiotherapy and also non-medical reasons such as staff inefficiency and miscommunication, equipment mismanagement, waiting for a community hospital bed, waiting for a new caregiver, and ...