Apologizing for my prima donna ICU coworkers. - Page 2

Well I just left the ICU after 9 years and my coworkers and I would often complain about this very thing. It wasn't until I had an opportunity to speak with an ER nurse that I fully grasped the concept of what their role is. The ER nurse is supposed to stabilize the situation so that the patient is able to move onto the next part of his/her field trip through the hospital. I had coworkers complain about "big" things which are "little" things to an ER nurse in the grand scheme of things.

I do feel, however, if a patient has been in the ER nurse's care for a substanial amount of time, certain things can be done--such as placing a line or sending them to the department for a critical test rather waiting for the ICU nurse to do it. As we all know, time is off the essence with some of these patients.

I think that it would be great if time permitted, ER and ICU nurses had a chance to switch position for a day or maybe for half a shift to truly grasp the concept of what the other expects...until then, I feel that it is always going to be us versus them so to speak.

If you watch the TV medical shows, ERs accurately diagnose, treat, perform complex surgery, recover the patient and educate the family, patient and community all in 4 minutes. I think you aren't holding your ER to a high enough standard.

As for the ER where I work- I would rather they did as little as necessary to get my patient to me alive. I have more years of experience and more resources on hand to manage the patient. I don't want to have to deal with a pneumothorax because a central line was placed in hurried conditions by less skilled providers in less sterile conditions. I have enough to deal with in solving the problems the patient came in with, not adding to they with problems we (the hospital) caused.

2 icu nurses just transfered over to my ER... i will make sure they check the patients toes who came in because they had an MI or respiratory distress, make sure they call all the consults, and make sure all NON stat orders are done

If I could fix the patient they would be going home, not to ICU. That being said, it is difficult when you have 1 or 2 critical patients, a transfer, two other patients with families up your rear, demanding pillows/food/drugs/water/etc. I have had as many as 8 patients at a time, maybe all easy, maybe all really sick. I take what I get. Can't help out the ICU nurse who expects everything to be done. Can't hold up a bed in the ER when the pt needs a 2 hour nuclear med test, especially when the charge nurse is on my back to get the pt upstairs because we have a full waiting room and a 2 or 4 hour wait. I wish I had time to give the care I want to give to my patients, but honestly, I don't. I just stabilize them and out or up they go. And when you call me and I tell you I can't give report because the helicopter is on the pad and the flight nurse is standing in front of me, for goodness sake's don't get huffy. I will call you back when my patient is out the door. I get enough guff from patient's crazy families. I don't get huffy when you tell me your are transferring a patient. Its just part of the job.

Not at all, because there's a large majority that would rather be on their phone than taking care of pts. I have absolutely no problem making generalizations about older nurses. I work with plenty of them and most are burnt out and complain about arbitrary things.

I just made the switch from ER to ICU nursing. I love ER nursing, it's where I started as a new grad, and I know I will return to it some day. I just thought having ICU experience would make me a more well rounded nurse. That being said I can totally appreciate both sides of the coin now. The mentality is very different in ER and ICU, and that is probably why they tend to clash. In the ER my focus was keeping my patient alive with the little info I had. In the ICU I know every detail about them, and then some. I think both are excellent positions which require great skills in critical thinking, assessments, independence, and team work. As a previous poster stated I also think ER nurses can benefit from a day in the ICU nurse's shoes and vice versa.

an offensive statement is no less offensive because you've said you "don't mean to offend". in fact, it's more offensive. you know you're saying something that might offend someone, but you just don't care.

you're right, i should've not included that post. i do stand by my original statement, as well as the above post, however.

and don't forget to bathe them!!!!!

Which should include a topical bug killer of choice for pts with lice/nits (ick) or scabies (double-ICK...scratch..itch...scratch).

I'm dreaming, I know.