Descriptive Essay - Emergency Room
Flashing red and blue lights accompanied by an alarming siren in the distance is signaled when the double doors of the emergency room burst open. Pushed by several nurses, doctors, and other medical staff, a lone hospital stretcher with a bloody, wounded patient flies through the medical center towards the doors to the operating room. This image is what generally comes to mind when you think about an emergency room. Many people believe that the hospital’s emergency room is a dark and scary place. While this is true, the common misconception is that the emergency room is a place clear of humor, when in reality humor is present, even necessary, for many reasons. Many television shows, like the show ER, are based in the setting of the hospital’s emergency room. Clearly, when you watch the show you can differentiate fact from fiction on what goes on in an actual emergency room versus what Hollywood incorporates into the show. For example, when watching one of these shows, one will notice that there is an emphasis placed on the relationships between the hospital’s staff, whereas in reality an emphasis is, obviously, placed on the individuals that need medical attention. Another emphasis is on humor and the comedy aspect of the show. Although the humor aspect of these shows is exaggerated, that is not to say that there is no humor in the emergency room because that is far from the truth. When one thinks of the act of laughing, the emergency room rarely is a scene that pops into one’s head. Because of the nature of the emergency room and the clientele that require its services, humor is not commonly accepted in such a place. Like a funeral home, an emergency room is a place where laughter and fun are generally not accepted, but unlike a funeral home, the ER is a much more stressful environment and requires release of built up tension through humor. Also, the workers who work in the emergency room, such as doctors, nurses, and other care providers, undergo
Cited: Van Wormer, K., and M. Boes. "HUMOR IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM: A Social Work Perspective." Welcome! Web. 23 Sept. 2011. .