Emergency Department Boarding Stories

"At times we've had up to 50 patients holding in the ED. We have had to resort to treating patients from the waiting room. We have many senior patients.  Some are sleeping, slumped over in wheelchairs in the waiting room over 16 hours waiting for treatment. We have found emergent conditions in our waiting room including intracranial bleeding, saddle pulmonary emboli, acute stroke, complete heart block. We have had people suffer cardiac arrest in the waiting room while waiting for room in the ED. It is critical that admitted patients are moved out of the ED so we can continue to care for patients in a safe, efficient manner."