Comments about ‘ER nurses fall victim to increasing violence, study finds’

Sure is a good thing we don't have national health care, because then we'd have long waits for emergency room care...oh wait....

Not long ago I was kicked in the face by a strung out methhead who needed "medical clearance" before he could be properly jailed by the police. Who can I count on to squelch Utah's meth epidemic, make it more difficult for psychos to obtain weapons, and deal with the inundation of immigrants and the uninsured in my ER? I understand our currant representatives are dealing with pressing issues like what to call the official title of Mayor. Stay the course! And try not to have heart attack in the meantime.

I help an 83-year old friend who is totally deaf. As her health fails, she has had several medical emergencies and has gone to the ER several times this year. She no longer thinks as clearly as she once did and she panics at the long waits. I've observed several things about ERs. 1. They are terribly understaffed--increased staffing would greatly lower waiting time. 2. People use them for non-emergencies as their health care provider of choice because they have no insurance or regular doctor. Urgent Care facilities, education, and planning can help with this. 3. Criminal behavior and substance abuse add to the load. 4. Illegals heavily use the ER in our part of AZ because you can't refuse to treat an emergency--even if you've known for 9 months that you are having a baby, it becomes an emergency--and most times the hospital is never paid, raising costs for the rest of us--and closing the maternity units in 2 of our 3 hospitals along a 70 mile border with Mexico.
Needed--education in simple at home nursing, more staff, fewer illegals, and people willing to help each other. Sometimes all someone needs is a bit of help or advice.