These are the worst things you can do in an ER, doctors say

Emergency room visits are known for being prolonged, expensive, and can be scary, but that doesn’t mean they can’t run smoothly.

Anyone who has spent time in the hospital, visited someone or watched a medical drama like The Pitt knows that the high-stress environment of an ER is not only because of the natural panic linked to an emergency, but also because the U.S. healthcare industry has faced struggles including staffing shortages, low wages and emotional burnout.

However, there are certain behaviors that people can uphold — or avoid — to make their hospital stays as stress-free as possible for staff and patients alike, according to doctors and health professionals.

Not only is it important to be prepared and show respect to hospital workers as well as fellow patients, but there are lines that should not be crossed in order to keep everyone safe.

Read on for five key behaviors that should be avoided in the ER.

Bringing a large group

It’s only natural to want family and friends nearby when going through a medical emergency. However, doctors encourage patients to limit their visitors in order to prevent adding stress to the environment.

“Who you bring with you to the ER matters,” registered nurse Karen Selby recently told HuffPost.

“A calm, supportive companion can make the experience smoother. But bringing large groups into a small treatment space creates noise and chaos, making it harder for staff to work quickly and safely.”

Asking for a second opinion

Some patients go to the ER to get a new diagnosis after becoming convinced that they were misdiagnosed by other doctors.

Dr. Robert Myles Riner told The Healthy at Reader’s Digest: “It’s not the role of the emergency department to take someone with a chronic medical problem and try to second-guess all the other providers who have treated this patient.”

He said that while chronic pain should not be ignored, it isn’t helpful to anyone to seek out a “magic cure” for a problem that is not new.

“It takes a certain amount of self-awareness to be able to say, ‘you know this is just my same old back pain and it doesn’t make sense to go the emergency department expecting a magical cure’ versus ‘this headache is so much worse than all the other headaches I’ve had before, so it’s time to go to the ER,’” Riner explained.

Self-removing IVs

Although it might seem like an option for getting out of the ER more quickly, doctors strongly advise against trying to remove an intravenous line by yourself.

A study published by the National Institutes of Health noted that IVs, while convenient for treatment, are also “associated with risks—including local infections.”

A patient who dislodges their own IV runs the risk of infection or suffering damage to the blood vessel wall, which could lead to heavy bleeding.

That could then result in a trail of blood on the ER floor which can cause chaos or safety concerns.

Relying on a cell phone

In the case of an emergency, it might seem imperative to contact loved ones to let them know what is going on, or to distract from the potentially painful situation at hand.

However, if a doctor or nurse is trying to speak with a patient, it is important to communicate directly and clearly.

As one healthcare professional wrote on a Reddit thread dedicated to the topic: “Please, please, please get off of your damn phone when the nurse comes in to assess you and to find out why you came to the hospital. I’m giving you my undivided attention to determine what is wrong with you, so I would appreciate it if you did the same.”

The person added: “Especially when you tell me your pain is a 10/10 and you’re ordering yourself Mexican food from Uber Eats.”

Becoming aggressive

In a stressful situation like an injury or death, it is common for people to become frustrated or upset. However, becoming aggressive or violent with other people in the emergency department is no solution to the problem.

A 2022 study found that an alarming number of ER doctors in the U.S. have reported being physically assaulted.

Although it should not have to be said, it is important to refrain from physically attacking anyone, damaging equipment, or threatening workers.

“Unfortunately, family members and visitors sometimes display verbally or physically aggressive behaviors, like yelling about wait times, insisting upon immediate attention or even threatening staff,” Selby told HuffPost. “This pulls attention away from patients in critical condition and can delay care if security has to become involved.”