College Medical Emergencies: A Mom’s Guide

Colleges do a great job explaining how they respond to medical emergencies and accidents. You’ll hear about it on their websites, during campus tours, and at orientation. They’ll tell you everything you need to know—or will they?

The Call Every Mom Dreads

It was early on a Saturday when my phone rang. My daughter, a first-year college student almost six hours away, told me she was in pain and didn’t know why. She wasn’t the type to complain – so I knew something was wrong.

I immediately checked the college health center’s website. It said there were Saturday “clinic hours” for “urgent walk-in cases.” Despite what was on the website, my daughter insisted the health center was not open. I quickly realized arguing with her was not helpful so I suggested she call. She got a recorded message saying a nurse would call her back.

We waited.

Her pain worsened. I had no medical training and I was starting to worry. With her permission, I called a trusted friend who directs a university health center near our hometown. She helped rule out an immediate emergency but advised my daughter to be seen on campus as soon as reasonably possible.

We waited.

Then, the pain spiked. My friend said, “She needs to go to the ER – now.” As my daughter left for the hospital, my husband and I jumped in the car for the almost six-hour drive to get to her.

And that’s when it hit me.

I had prepared my daughter for the emotional challenges of college—but I hadn’t prepared her (or myself) for medical emergencies. I assumed the system would work as promised. It was a big mistake.

The College Medical System Didn’t Work As Expected

Despite my years of professional experience, I fell prey to marketing. I didn’t even consider the possibility that the medical services might not be available as promised. I did not prepare in advance. I just assumed the system would work and my daughter would get the help she needed. I didn’t:

 ❌ Know where the nearest hospitals were located.

❌ Understand how the off-campus urgent care system worked.

❌ Research which ERs were best for specific medical needs.

❌ Have the legal paperwork signed in advance that would allow me to help my daughter.

Thankfully, I did know exactly which form my daughter needed to sign so that I could be involved in her care but explaining this to her during a crisis was far from optimal. 

At the ER, she signed the necessary form so hospital staff could communicate with me. As I talking with her, I could overhear the very nice nurse reassuring her that he would call me. I also heard her telling him that she did not understand what type of testing they were doing. Then they took her for testing. Now I was really scared! We didn’t know what was happening, she was in terrible pain, and she was about to undergo some sort of testing. 

The nurse never called.

An hour later, I followed up. The hospital staff acknowledged they had the form but couldn’t provide any medical information. They said the nurse would call in a few minutes.

The nurse never called.

When we were about thirty minutes away, my daughter called. They had diagnosed and treated her. She would be discharged soon. Thank goodness it wasn’t anything serious! She said the nurse would explain everything to me.

The nurse never called.

What Every Mom Needs to Know About College Medical Emergencies

🚨 MYTH: You can rely on colleges to follow through with what they offer for medical and emergency services.

➡️ Truth: The medical and emergency interventions promised by colleges may not be delivered as advertised. Parents and students must have a plan in place before an emergency or accident occurs.

 

How to Prepare for College Medical Emergencies

✅  Know where the local hospitals and urgent care centers are located as well as the emergency services they provide.

✅  Understand that campus health services and remember that resources may be unpredictable.

✅  Talk to your child about emergencies and accidents and have a plan for how they will respond. Be as specific as possible! 

✅  Have the right legal forms in place to ensure you can be involved in your child’s emergency care.

✅ Consult with experts and use trusted resources to prepare. 

Valuable Resources and Information

The stark reality is that accidents are a leading cause of death for college students. Medical emergencies are common. You and your student need to know what to do in a crisis. You need a plan. 

Nanette Hausman tragically lost her child after he fell while skateboarding on a college campus. Her advice to parents? “Have the conversation with your child and make them realize these accidents can happen. My goal is not to scare people, it’s to prepare them in a way that would have made a difference for my family.” You can read more about her story and recommendations here.

❇️ This resource is a helpful summary about responding to college student emergencies. 

❇️ Mama Bear Legal Forms explains what parents can do to ensure that they have the legal authority they need to help their children. Check out their forms and tools! 

❇️ Consult with an attorney to help educate yourself and to make a plan specific to your child’s needs.

And There’s More to My Story…

With my daughter’s permission, I followed up with the college health center to share what had happened. I assumed they’d want to improve their system and I was eager to offer helpful feedback.

Their response?

🚫 The website does not explicitly state a professional is physically on-site. (Trust me, you wouldn’t know that by reading the website.)

🚫 “Urgent walk-in cases” are only seen on weekdays. (Nothing indicated this didn’t apply to weekends – in fact, it was quite the opposite!)

🚫 The center doesn’t specify how quickly staff will respond to calls. (True but hours later is not what most people expect.)

I checked the website when I drafted this blog and, nearly seven years later, the language is essentially the same.

Bottom line? Moms need to prepare themselves and their future college students for what to do in a medical emergency.

 

Final Thoughts for Moms

No one wants to think about their child being in harm’s way. But trust me—it’s far better to plan ahead than to be caught off guard and trying to figure out what to do during a crisis.

✔ Make a plan.

✔ Have the right legal documents.

✔ Teach your child how to advocate for themselves.

Because when the phone rings, you want to be ready. Be the prepared mom!

Grab the COLLEGE UNCOVERED Toolkit to ensure you have the resources to prepare and respond to crises!