Don't you ever get mortally wounded in Newark New Jersey.

[dr_pepper_spray]

I recently had to go to the emergency room for what I thought then was a broken finger. I started at a park in Newark New Jersey, working at an outdoor concert when a piece of equipment I was working with failed (a older Jib, for those in the entertainment business) that put into motion a set of events that eventually crushed my left pinkie finger

Comments

[dr_pepper_spray]

Well there is a lot of unknowns here for both of us. This is a hospital that neither of us have any experience with. You have a better idea then me, but do you know how many nurses are on staff there, how many Doctors are working, How many X-ray machines they have (I would hope more then two) ect, ect.. Unless of course there is a federally mandated minimum.

With that said, I had no problem with the efficiency of the actual emergency room and for as hectic as the environment seemed (they were also dealing with a robbery case - the guy injured himself running from the cops) they were never unnecessarily pissy. My understanding of Fast Track is that it's a separate entity to get people who weren't severely injured through the system quickly. Basically a clinic tied to the main hospital with it's own doctor(s), Nurse(s) and equipment - Fast track was in a separate wing of the hospital, if that helps illustrate. If this isn't the case then it's nothing more then a room to punish you for going to the emergency room when you didn't need to. Like I said earlier, my production wanted me to go, other-wise I probably wouldn't have, because they don't want to be liable for anything and they thought it would be a quick process, and none of us are Doctors nor do we have a firm grasp of the emergency room process.

The other thing I'd have to say is that I totally understand the attitude of the Doctor. She was probably over-worked, tired and frustrated. It's a busy hospital in a bad part of town. However the admins (I called them nurses because that's the way they looked) treated everyone in that room like they were simply dogs and cats. The attitude they presented when normal human beings calmly asked a reasonable question "How much time do you think this will take" was unnecessary and in fact didn't help their mood much, because it ends up pitting those who asked against them. Human beings handle wait times pretty well damn well I think.. I mean if we were chimpanzees we would have slaughtered each other within fifteen minutes. However, you can't expect people to wait indefinitely without information and not get really irritable. So I think the admins or nurses or whatever they are are also part of a hospitality profession and if they can't be nice then they should be let go.

[intravenous]

In my experience (which is most of the Level 1 & 2 hospitals in southwestern CT) Fast Track is only separate from the ED in where it is in the building. They utilize all the same nurses, doctors and resources. Yes it is like a clinic for non emergent "emergencies" but it is the same system.
And I have noticed that the unit coordinators are bitchy in general. I think it is the same as like, DMV workers. They deal with not-so-smart, not-so-nice people day in and day out. Eventually you just become jaded and bitter and roll your eyes at even the nicest bald dude with glasses.
I appreciate you discussing this without taking offense when i used you as my example. It was just kinda too perfect to pass up.

[vivnsect]

The Fast Track often just shares the same employee pool with the ER. It's nonsensical and weird but I guess in some hospitals it ends up really working? In poorly funded inner city hospitals, I have noticed that the Fast Track just tends to create more animosity all around.