Tales From Triage - Take One

When you visit the Emergency Department at the hospital, you must first be seen at triage. The nurse at triage does a quick assessment to determine the acuity of your situation and where you should be seen. I have kept track of many of these conversations over the years and will share some highlights.

I encountered this patient at the triage desk of a large inner city hospital, a Level I Trauma Center......

Me: “What is your emergency today?”
Patient: “I‘m here for a checkup.”
Me: “What kind of checkup?”
Patient: “I don’t know.”
Me: “Who sent you here?”
Patient: “The doctor told me I had low blood and was supposed to come back and get a checkup.”
Me: “Which doctor?”
Patient: “I don’t know.”
Me: “Which floor?”
Patient: “I don’t know.”
Me: “What is your health problem?”
Patient: “I don’t know.”