First of all, you should not be writing this letter, the patient should. He was the one going through this, not you. By your own words, you were only there one short hour.

Being of veteran of many, many ER visits (more than I have fingers and toes), I can honestly say that the ER is not the place to be if you want hand holding. They are just too busy to hold the hand and calm every patient. Many ER's have a saying, meet 'em, treat 'em and street 'em.

I've done my share of cursing in the ER and most of the docs and nurses are quite used to it. I've had to have my dislocated hip prothesis reduced in the ER. That after a bumpy trip through the streets of Manhattan. Despite the Demoral and Valium drip, there was quite a bit of cursing from me that night.

I'm suprised that a phlebotomist started an IV. It may be a state thing but here in NY I've never had an IV started by anyone but an RN, PA or Doctor.