Nurses Share 4 Ways To Not Be One Of The 45,000 People Admitted To The ER Every July 4
Gather 'round, it's time for BBQs, sparklers and fingers getting blown off by firecrackers!
Monkey Business Images | Shutterstock It's almost the Fourth of July, and you know what that means: delicious barbecues, spending the whole day in your best friend's swimming pool, and, of course, dragging SOMEONE to the emergency room because they've blown their fingers off with a bottle rocket.
Okay, that's a little extreme (although… not really), but the ER is all too often where the after-party ends up being during the first week of July, and all too many hospitals aren't ready for the influx. As the big day approaches, nurses are sharing some reminders of what you should do while celebrating to make sure you're not one of the saps stuck spending the holiday weekend in an ER waiting room.
4 ways to not be among the 45,000 people who end up in the ER each July 4, according to nurses:
Studies have repeatedly shown that emergency room admissions surge by 10% or more on the single day of Independence Day compared to the rest of the summer months, and it's not just because of people hurting themselves with fireworks, though that is definitely a major cause of the drama.
It results in some 45,000 people flooding American emergency rooms, which, you may have heard in recent years (*cough pandemic cough*), are suffering from a bit of a staffing issue. Nationwide, there is a shortage of nearly 300,000 nurses, with rural areas suffering more than urban areas. And with high numbers of nurses saying they plan to leave the profession, this problem is expected to grow.
Nurse-staffing platform Nursa has found that this trend, combined with the onset of the Fourth of July, results in major spikes in demand around the holiday. Nursa's platform typically sees demand increase by more than 7% each week leading up to the holiday every year, in fact.
Roll it all together and it's a recipe for a true bummer of a Fourth of July. Not only do you end up in the ER, but that ER's already notoriously slow pace of care is likely to be even more hindered by the ongoing shortage of nurses.
1. Practice firework safety
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Duh, right? But you knew this was coming, because yes, fireworks injuries are the number one cause of the yearly July 4 ER surge. More than half of all yearly fireworks injuries happen in the first eight days of July, with the most common injuries being burns, at 38%, bruises at 19%, and cuts at 15%.
And here's a sobering fact: Firecrackers and sparklers cause roughly an equal number of injuries each year, so it's not just your doofus brother-in-law getting hurt. It's the kids waving sparklers, too.
Nurses say to only light one sparkler at a time, keep everyone 80 feet apart while using them, and have a bucket of water or a hose at hand so you can intervene quickly if a mishap happens. And as a guy with an uncle who once had to have a sparkler removed from INSIDE his leg? PLEASE do not throw sparklers in the grass. My Uncle Jim begs you.
2. Limit alcohol consumption
Surprise! A LOT of drunks end up in the ER every year on the Fourth of July, since boozing is typically part of the fun. But nurses say it's not just people drinking themselves into the hospital. Inebriated adults are frequently the cause of the fireworks injuries.
That includes people too tipsy to be messing around with fireworkers (looking at you, aforementioned brother-in-law) but also adults too tipsy to properly supervise the kids and their sparklers. So nurses say to make sure there's at least one sober adult at every gathering to keep things on the up-and-up.
3. Stay hydrated
It's July. It's hot. And if you're reading this in 2025, it's REALLY hot. That means people are dehydrating all over the place, just living their normal lives. But add a bunch of booze into the mix — which dehydrates us at war speed — AND a whole day spent sitting in the sun roasting hot dogs? That's a fast track to folks dehydrating and ending up in the ER. Nurses say to be sure to drink water all day, even if you don't feel thirsty, to make sure you're not one of them.
4. Protect skin from the sun with sunscreen and clothing
Yes, sunburns are annoying and bad for your skin, but you might not realize how bad. According to the National Cancer Institute, some 33,000 people have to be hospitalized every year because of a sunburn, which is capable of giving third-degree burns, just like fire can.
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A day like the Fourth of July is a perfect opportunity for this kind of burn. You're outside all day, usually drinking, and often staying cool in a pool, which are all great ways to not notice you're getting burned till it's too late.
Nurses say to use sunscreen and, if you can bear it, lightweight, long-sleeved clothing for extra protection. And as a bonus, it'll keep you protected from those sparks your brother-in-law's illegal fireworks are spraying everywhere. It's a win-win!
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
