Experiences in the Emergency Room

I have worked as a customer support specialist in the emergency department for five years and have witnessed many outpatient procedures. Most people might think that an emergency department mainly deals with ambulances bringing patients in, but most of the time, we treat patients who have driven themselves to the hospital. Patients who experience outpatient care have come in to the hospital for minor check ups, headaches, fevers, cuts, etc. There have been times where the waiting room is packed full, and they have to wait because we are understaffed. I feel this is the biggest problem with our health care system today. In the hospital that I work at, there are a total of 12 rooms in the emergency department but only one doctor working. The number of patients coming into the emergency department can be very unpredictable, and when we are understaffed is when we run into the most problems. I have seen people wait for hours just to be checked in, and I feel that if more people were working, this wouldn't be such a problem. Having more workers would provide a shorter waiting time, as well as more patient interaction with healthcare providers. Also, patients wouldn't feel as though they are being hurried out and may feel more comfortable opening up to the nurses/doctors about their concerns.