I am an ER nurse, and I am scared. This isn’t about COVID-19, although I do have nightmares about it. I am scared by the lack of patients in our emergency department. The scary problem: low census. I work in Washington state’s busiest emergency department. Thirty patients in our waiting room was a normal day. Lately, we are likely averaging less than five patients in the waiting room at any given moment. Where is everyone? Two theories: People don’t want to “bother” the ER or are so worried about catching the virus, they will avoid going to the ER. Recently, our awesome medics brought in a patient post cardiac arrest after getting the patient’s heart started. However, when the patient arrived, there was still a superficial muscle/nerve relaxer on the patient’s chest; a home-remedy for chest pain. We were lucky to be able to stabilize the patient.
ER visits are down 40 percent. People with chest pain, abdominal pain, strokes, etc., are staying home. What will be found when restrictions are lifted? More deaths? Home-remedies that made lives worse?
Suspected or known COVID-19 patients are separated to reduce the risk exposure. Where I work, all patients get their own rooms and our entire team (amazing nurses, doctors, techs, social workers, security, environmental services, and admissions staff), strives to minimize any possible COVID-19 exposures. We are wary of the virus; we are as concerned about patients dying at home from problems we could fix.
As I tell my family, “Don’t mess with the brain, the lungs or the heart, or anything life threatening.” Call 911. And if you are unsure if you should go to the Emergency Room, we are open and will take good care of you; 24 hours a day, every day. If you have to wait in the waiting room for a while to be seen, trust me; that is wonderful news.
Peter Zyniewicz
Edmonds
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