This happened about 4 years ago to me. I went to the ER with what I thought was a broken finger (it was but is why I was there). After I sat down in the waiting area two women walk in. One sits down and the other goes to report her in to the ER reception people. As I am sitting there I notice this woman is not feeling all that great. Her friend, who now comes to sit with her says it will be just a few minutes. I Quietly listen as the two women discuss the on-going symptoms.
A few minutes, turns into 15 minutes. I finally lean over having heard the symptom descriptions being used and asked the obvious question, "Do you think you are having a heart-attack?" She said "yes." I got up and angrily interrupted the reception folk and asked if they were aware of the heart attack patient waiting in the ER. They then all scurried about and took her back immediately.
I don't know whatever happened to the woman. I didn't see her when I finally went back for my broken finger. I sincerely hope she is well and doing fine.
Wait- say that again. It was the ER reception person who was told these symptoms? Or was it the ER Triage nurse? It's very important to make that distinction, because they are not at all the same. The reception person is not a registered nurse. The reader has to understand- the receptionist is usually trained to follow certain parameters, but in my experience, every ER I have gone to that had a receptionist who signed you in first generally had a longer waiting time.
This is just my personal opinion, but I think that ERs should do away with the receptionist. My ER does not have one, and the first person every single patient sees is the triage nurse and not some unskilled volunteer. As a result, when a person comes in with chest pain or one-sided weakness, we know it's chest pain or one-sided weakness. Sorry to all you volunteers out there, but when it comes to cardiac or neuro symptoms, you are just not qualified to be the first person a patient encounters.