I'm going to the ER soon and I may be gone a few days.

Dixie said:
Well, I think there should be a law or something where the ER must either admit you to the inpatient care or release you with treatment and a follow-up appointment within 3 hours.

A lot of the problem is that nurses often gaggle and gossip and really forget they have a patient in truama room 3. I think ER nurses need to make rounds every 30 minutes for stabilized patients and every 5-15 minutes for unstabilized patient. Unfortunately, there is no laws regarding something like this in Emergency Rooms.

I'm glad you're on the mend! :D
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that kind of law doesn't exist and will never exist because it's very unrealistic. it surely would be nice if we have doctor-patient ratio like 1:5 at all hospitals.

Our medical care is one of the best in the world since the standard is so high that there's always shortage of nurses and doctors. if there's a critical patient coming into ER or a patient from upstair needing immediate attention... that prevents nurses from making rounds every 30 minutes for all other patients and that also prevents doctors from seeing new patients at waiting room.

but of course.... in this country - it's all about $$$ depending on what kind of insurance coverage you have. if you want a red carpet treatment... you can go to private hospital for that.
 
deafskeptic said:
I'll be seeing doctor next week on the 29th and I do have to keep my feet evaluated for a while everyday.
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I am glad you're seeing your doctor next week, that is really importance to to make sure you're getting better. I am glad you're back home again!
 
Jiro said:
that kind of law doesn't exist and will never exist because it's very unrealistic. it surely would be nice if we have doctor-patient ratio like 1:5 at all hospitals.


Our medical care is one of the best in the world since the standard is so high that there's always shortage of nurses and doctors. if there's a critical patient coming into ER or a patient from upstair needing immediate attention... that prevents nurses from making rounds every 30 minutes for all other patients and that also prevents doctors from seeing new patients at waiting room.

but of course.... in this country - it's all about $$$ depending on what kind of insurance coverage you have. if you want a red carpet treatment... you can go to private hospital for that.
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It's about triaging to benefit all the patients rather than just one.

Unrealistic? Hmm, in our small hospital there is usually 4 nurses on staff in the ER along with the plethora of nurses on the floor.

Most of the ER cases we get are kids that cut themselves on various things, geriatric patients with TIAs, CHF, COPDers, etc. We do have those 'oh-shit' cases where the truama is so bad that they have to be mediflighted to Little Rock to a speciality hospital that can handle the patient, but in those cases, you have all spare nurses from the floor as well as the ER and even the paramedics from the ambulance and air ambulance all working together to keep the patient stabilized until they can reach the truama center or a specialty hospital that is capable of dealing with serious cases. However, for our area, those are very rare occurances.

In a larger metropolitan area where you have various large hospitals spread out over a heavily populated area, your resources are a bit better. But also keep in mind that the more people you have in an area, the more accidents you're likely to have.

As for the best healthcare system in the world? Dude, you must have some damn good health insurance.

What good is 'the best healthcare system in the world' going to do for me if I don't have access to it because I don't have insurance or I'm under insured?

I understand there is a nursing shortage here in the US, but I feel that in the next 10-15 years as more and more people pursue RN and LPN rather than MD, I think the trend will change. We just need to give it time. But then again this has been said for the last 10-15 years as well. Also, many EMT-P/CC are taking the NR/NCLEX bridge exam that allows a person to carry dual certification and licensure as an EMT-P/RN which pretty much means they get to become flight nurses or they get to work at the top trauma centers in the country with very good pay of near $20/hr. This is basically a two year shortcut to an RN rather than having to do the full 4 year traditional route.

So, a lot of how hospitals are staffed is dependent upon the area they are in.

But if nurses are forgetting they have patients and they are left on an OB exam table in the stirrups for around 5 hours because 'oops the RNs forgot' it's going to take a law to keep this from happening. For all we know the patient could have died because the nurses in charge of their care forgot. That, my friend, falls under patient neglect which is a federal offense. What if the patient's pain was due to organ failure or internal bleeding due to an ulcer? Not checking on your patients in the ER is just stupid. The nurses need to take turns making the rounds. There is usually more than 2 nurses in the ER, at our hospital, there's no less than three. That means, if one nurse is busy with a patient, then another nurse can make the rounds around the ER to check on patients. Many times the only time the DR steps into the ER is when a patient has already been assessed by the RN with baseline vitals and a general report of the symptoms. The doctor goes in, looks at the nurse evaluation, makes his/her own evaluation, maybe run some tests/blood work to confirm it or to further investigate, makes a dx, the patient is either treated and released with a follow-up appointment 1-3 days later, or the patient is admitted for more treatment/observation. The rest of the time the doctor is either doing paperwork or is sleeping in the doctor's quarters. If the doc has patients on the floor, they may make a couple of rounds there to check on their patients.
 
Dixie said:
It's about triaging to benefit all the patients rather than just one.
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in case of triaging, if one requires more attention than other patients.... that's usually because one patient is high priority aka critical aka red tag or he'll die.

Dixie said:
Unrealistic? Hmm, in our small hospital there is usually 4 nurses on staff in the ER along with the plethora of nurses on the floor.

Most of the ER cases we get are kids that cut themselves on various things, geriatric patients with TIAs, CHF, COPDers, etc. We do have those 'oh-shit' cases where the truama is so bad that they have to be mediflighted to Little Rock to a speciality hospital that can handle the patient, but in those cases, you have all spare nurses from the floor as well as the ER and even the paramedics from the ambulance and air ambulance all working together to keep the patient stabilized until they can reach the truama center or a specialty hospital that is capable of dealing with serious cases. However, for our area, those are very rare occurances.
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if spare nurse is not qualified or certified, she can't get involved.

Dixie said:
In a larger metropolitan area where you have various large hospitals spread out over a heavily populated area, your resources are a bit better. But also keep in mind that the more people you have in an area, the more accidents you're likely to have.
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yes in larger metropolitan area - we have more resource but it also means longer waiting period for those waiting in ER. That's why you hear about horrible incidents like a patient waiting in ER too long and then died more often in city hospitals than small-town hospital.

Dixie said:
As for the best healthcare system in the world? Dude, you must have some damn good health insurance.
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compared to others... I'd say our privatized healthcare is pretty dang good. and yes I do have a very good health insurance coverage. I was very relieved when my work switched to better coverage last year. It did make a huge difference in type of health care I received.

Previously, I had high-deductible limited coverage and I went to ER for my awful ear infection. I waited several hours just to see a doctor for 2 minutes and get a prescription. Ridiculous.

Now with new full coverage since last year... I went to ER for this mysterious pain in my abdominal that was very painful. I only waited for about 15 min and I was done in just less than 2 hours - along with CAT scan and IV feed. Excellent service. Very speedy. I doubt I would get this kind of quality service if I didn't have health insurance. I'd probably would be given just a few Tylenol pills for $200 :roll:

Dixie said:
What good is 'the best healthcare system in the world' going to do for me if I don't have access to it because I don't have insurance or I'm under insured?
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that's what Obamacare is about. Soon, you'll be insured.

Dixie said:
I understand there is a nursing shortage here in the US, but I feel that in the next 10-15 years as more and more people pursue RN and LPN rather than MD, I think the trend will change. We just need to give it time. But then again this has been said for the last 10-15 years as well. Also, many EMT-P/CC are taking the NR/NCLEX bridge exam that allows a person to carry dual certification and licensure as an EMT-P/RN which pretty much means they get to become flight nurses or they get to work at the top trauma centers in the country with very good pay of near $20/hr. This is basically a two year shortcut to an RN rather than having to do the full 4 year traditional route.

So, a lot of how hospitals are staffed is dependent upon the area they are in.
Click to expand...
I doubt it. The trend remains relatively same - more or less. People are certainly not doing this for money because if they are, they most likely won't survive rigor of medical program. Why go thru hell and misery for years just to be a RN/LPN when you can do other easier job for same wage? Also, you have to constantly worry about malpractice lawsuit and legal issues. Is it worth $20/hr for that whole trouble???

Dixie said:
But if nurses are forgetting they have patients and they are left on an OB exam table in the stirrups for around 5 hours because 'oops the RNs forgot' it's going to take a law to keep this from happening. For all we know the patient could have died because the nurses in charge of their care forgot. That, my friend, falls under patient neglect which is a federal offense. What if the patient's pain was due to organ failure or internal bleeding due to an ulcer? Not checking on your patients in the ER is just stupid. The nurses need to take turns making the rounds. There is usually more than 2 nurses in the ER, at our hospital, there's no less than three. That means, if one nurse is busy with a patient, then another nurse can make the rounds around the ER to check on patients. Many times the only time the DR steps into the ER is when a patient has already been assessed by the RN with baseline vitals and a general report of the symptoms. The doctor goes in, looks at the nurse evaluation, makes his/her own evaluation, maybe run some tests/blood work to confirm it or to further investigate, makes a dx, the patient is either treated and released with a follow-up appointment 1-3 days later, or the patient is admitted for more treatment/observation. The rest of the time the doctor is either doing paperwork or is sleeping in the doctor's quarters. If the doc has patients on the floor, they may make a couple of rounds there to check on their patients.
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You don't need to create laws for that because our legal system already allowed us to sue them for malpractice and it's very easy to win it. Hospitals always take it seriously and take immediate action against lazy/careless nurses. It only takes one little fuck-up to lose your career over this.
 
Jiro said:
in case of triaging, if one requires more attention than other patients.... that's usually because one patient is high priority aka critical aka red tag or he'll die.


if spare nurse is not qualified or certified, she can't get involved.


yes in larger metropolitan area - we have more resource but it also means longer waiting period for those waiting in ER. That's why you hear about horrible incidents like a patient waiting in ER too long and then died more often in city hospitals than small-town hospital.


compared to others... I'd say our privatized healthcare is pretty dang good. and yes I do have a very good health insurance coverage. I was very relieved when my work switched to better coverage last year. It did make a huge difference in type of health care I received.

Previously, I had high-deductible limited coverage and I went to ER for my awful ear infection. I waited several hours just to see a doctor for 2 minutes and get a prescription. Ridiculous.

Now with new full coverage since last year... I went to ER for this mysterious pain in my abdominal that was very painful. I only waited for about 15 min and I was done in just less than 2 hours - along with CAT scan and IV feed. Excellent service. Very speedy. I doubt I would get this kind of quality service if I didn't have health insurance. I'd probably would be given just a few Tylenol pills for $200 :roll:


that's what Obamacare is about. Soon, you'll be insured.


I doubt it. The trend remains relatively same - more or less. People are certainly not doing this for money because if they are, they most likely won't survive rigor of medical program. Why go thru hell and misery for years just to be a RN/LPN when you can do other easier job for same wage? Also, you have to constantly worry about malpractice lawsuit and legal issues. Is it worth $20/hr for that whole trouble???


You don't need to create laws for that because our legal system already allowed us to sue them for malpractice and it's very easy to win it. Hospitals always take it seriously and take immediate action against lazy/careless nurses. It only takes one little fuck-up to lose your career over this.
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No amount of money won in a malpractice suit could ever replace a life lost to patient neglect.

Some people enjoy the chaos of the medical field, others don't want it. That's why not every person goes in to the medical field. Some think the risk is worth the career and the money earned, others don't.

OK, tell me what Obamacare means to you because to me it means that healthcare costs are going to shoot through the roof and people will be fined for not being able to afford health insurance.

Your experience proved my point that uninsured/underinsured vs. insured makes a big difference in the care you receive anywhere. If I had really good healthcare insurance - I would have gotten my foot taken care of by now because they would have ran a CAT scan to determine the exact injury and I may or may not have had surgery to repair it. But because I don't have insurance, going to the ER for my foot would be stupid and pointless. They would just give me some non-narcotic prescription pain killers and send me home and say it's just a bad sprain and I would still be where I'm at now and I would be out close to $600 altogether.

So I'm an uninsured, low-wage worker. My healthcare is basically this:
If I have to see a doctor, I had better be dying. Any injury or illness, I have no choice but to ride it out.
 
Dixie said:
No amount of money won in a malpractice suit could ever replace a life lost to patient neglect.
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no it won't replace a lost life but it will definitely hurt hospital because it's not like Tyson company where they just quietly settle it and make it go away. Doctors and nurses will be held accountable for it and they can lose their license over it and they can get sued. It's a serious headache for hospitals and the board members certainly don't like it at all. They always take immediate action after shit hit fan.

Dixie said:
Some people enjoy the chaos of the medical field, others don't want it. That's why not every person goes in to the medical field. Some think the risk is worth the career and the money earned, others don't.

OK, tell me what Obamacare means to you because to me it means that healthcare costs are going to shoot through the roof and people will be fined for not being able to afford health insurance.
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healthcare cost won't shoot thru roof because of backdoor agreements and new federal laws that will put a cap on it. Now private insurance companies have to compete with Medicaid/Medicare/etc.

otherwise...... why would they pass Obamacare if it's going to cause healthcare cost to shoot thru roof?

Dixie said:
Your experience proved my point that uninsured/underinsured vs. insured makes a big difference in the care you receive anywhere. If I had really good healthcare insurance - I would have gotten my foot taken care of by now because they would have ran a CAT scan to determine the exact injury and I may or may not have had surgery to repair it. But because I don't have insurance, going to the ER for my foot would be stupid and pointless. They would just give me some non-narcotic prescription pain killers and send me home and say it's just a bad sprain and I would still be where I'm at now and I would be out close to $600 altogether.
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which is why Obamacare was passed to reduce/eliminate that issue.

Dixie said:
So I'm an uninsured, low-wage worker. My healthcare is basically this:
If I have to see a doctor, I had better be dying. Any injury or illness, I have no choice but to ride it out.
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it's the reality since Day 1. There will always be poor people and rich people and people in middle. Now with Obamacare... well soon in a few years, you won't have that issue. If you meet the criteria where you cannot afford it... you and your daughter will still be covered and we pay for it.
 
Dixie said:
No amount of money won in a malpractice suit could ever replace a life lost to patient neglect.

Some people enjoy the chaos of the medical field, others don't want it. That's why not every person goes in to the medical field. Some think the risk is worth the career and the money earned, others don't.

OK, tell me what Obamacare means to you because to me it means that healthcare costs are going to shoot through the roof and people will be fined for not being able to afford health insurance.

Your experience proved my point that uninsured/underinsured vs. insured makes a big difference in the care you receive anywhere. If I had really good healthcare insurance - I would have gotten my foot taken care of by now because they would have ran a CAT scan to determine the exact injury and I may or may not have had surgery to repair it. But because I don't have insurance, going to the ER for my foot would be stupid and pointless. They would just give me some non-narcotic prescription pain killers and send me home and say it's just a bad sprain and I would still be where I'm at now and I would be out close to $600 altogether.

So I'm an uninsured, low-wage worker. My healthcare is basically this:
If I have to see a doctor, I had better be dying. Any injury or illness, I have no choice but to ride it out.
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and it's true for millions of of others without insurance. I had a roommate whom I met in rehab while I was recovering from a severe infection. She ended up with at least half a million dollars in debt because she wasn't insured when a truck hit her and hubby. Her husband suffered permanent brain damage and he won't be able to work again any time soon and her muscles got thrown out of whack and she needed tons of rehabitation. She said the first hours cost 20k (as in 20,000 just in case PFH is reading this :P) for her and her husband.
 
deafskeptic said:
and it's true for millions of of others without insurance. I had a roommate whom I met in rehab while I was recovering from a severe infection. She ended up with at least half a million dollars in debt because she wasn't insured when a truck hit her and hubby. Her husband suffered permanent brain damage and he won't be able to work again any time soon and her muscles got thrown out of whack and she needed tons of rehabitation. She said the first hours cost 20k (as in 20,000 just in case PFH is reading this :P) for her and her husband.
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$20k for first hour? ouch.......... muy painful. my ER visit costed about that much too and I only paid $100.
 
WB Deaf Skeptic! :)

I had a case of cellulitis twice in my left elbow and left foot since 2003. I am sure you are taking antibiotics and IV feed to take care of it right? Cellulitis can lead to ulcer on skins which are not pretty.
 
deafskeptic said:
and it's true for millions of of others without insurance. I had a roommate whom I met in rehab while I was recovering from a severe infection. She ended up with at least half a million dollars in debt because she wasn't insured when a truck hit her and hubby. Her husband suffered permanent brain damage and he won't be able to work again any time soon and her muscles got thrown out of whack and she needed tons of rehabitation. She said the first hours cost 20k (as in 20,000 just in case PFH is reading this :P) for her and her husband.
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Ouch!

Do you mean they were pedestrians when the truck hit them?

The truck driver wasn't insured?

That's very sad. :(
 
Reba said:
Ouch!

Do you mean they were pedestrians when the truck hit them?

The truck driver wasn't insured?

That's very sad. :(
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I was struck by an automobile once while crossing the street and both my legs were broken. The ambulance took me to Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, where I waited without painkillers for almost four hours before they transferred me to City Hospital (now closed) because I had no insurance. The driver did not have insurance, either, but an attorney told me it would be a waste of time to sue him, since you "cannot squeeze blood from a turnip." It really sucked all around.
 
deafskeptic said:
and it's true for millions of of others without insurance. I had a roommate whom I met in rehab while I was recovering from a severe infection. She ended up with at least half a million dollars in debt because she wasn't insured when a truck hit her and hubby. Her husband suffered permanent brain damage and he won't be able to work again any time soon and her muscles got thrown out of whack and she needed tons of rehabitation. She said the first hours cost 20k (as in 20,000 just in case PFH is reading this :P) for her and her husband.
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I knew a guy that had no insurance and he got an infection and the doctor would not treat him! The guy friends where trying to raise money to pay for his doctor bills but it was too late, he dies from his infection! It was real sad and disgusting that a doctor would turn away a person that was so sick!!
The doctor could had let the guy made a payment plan.
 
Beowulf said:
I was struck by an automobile once while crossing the street and both my legs were broken. The ambulance took me to Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, where I waited without painkillers for almost four hours before they transferred me to City Hospital (now closed) because I had no insurance. The driver did not have insurance, either, but an attorney told me it would be a waste of time to sue him, since you "cannot squeeze blood from a turnip." It really sucked all around.
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:(

Of course, it's against the law to drive without liability insurance but that doesn't do you any good after the fact, does it?

Wow, two broken legs. That must have slowed you up, to say the least.
 
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