Emergency Nurses Week 2016

Saluting all the emergency nurses as we celebrate your week. Have a great week and thanks so much for everything you do!

Emergency Nurses Week 2016

It's late at night, the sirens wind down as they approach the ambulance bay....emergency nurses and staff await the patient in the trauma bay. As the patient is wheeled in, a hastily shouted report is given by the paramedic and it begins...

Circulation - level of consciousness, pulses....

Airway - is it clear? If not, what needs to be done to make it so...

Breathing - yes or no?

And on it goes....emergency nurses taking care of a very ill or traumatically injured patient. Organized chaos as everyone knows their role and what the ultimate goal is - a patient that survives to walk out of the hospital...

In another room, a nurse is soothing an infant and giving the parents information as they face their child's admission for an asthma exacerbation...

In another room, a nervous 14 year old finds out that whew! She's NOT pregnant. The nurse provides resources for this young girl...

In another room, a 51 year old male is finding out that the chest pain he has had intermittently for "a few days" is actually a NSTEMI. The nurse discusses upcoming tests, and the ramifications of this diagnosis...

In another room, a family is being brought in to say goodbye to an 84 year old female who was brought in after being found "down" by a neighbor. After a short code, the next of kin asks that resuscitation efforts be stopped. The nurse cleans her up as best as possible and invites the family in...

What do all these situations have in common? An ER nurse is there to provide care, caring, education and skills to help those that can be helped and care and caring also to those that can't be helped.

Not only does the ER nurse care for the patient, but the family as well. Entering the ER is never planned and many times it comes on the heels of a life-threatening or serious illness or traumatic injury. We all know that when we are under stress, how we might need instructions or education provided to us more than once. The ER nurse acts as teacher, educator, social worker, and nurse to everyone. Juggling all these roles is the forte of the emergency nurse.

Often a thankless job, the life of an ER nurse revolves around chaos. People are not always nice in the ER: stress, illness, injury, ETOH, drugs all can combine to make for a not-so-nice patient or family member. However, these people must also be cared for. With clear boundaries, some assistance of security and sometimes restraints, the ER nurse trudges on.

As an ER nurse for 10 years and a pre-hospital RN for 17+ these are some characteristics of ER nurses:

  1. They are usually type A personalities - they love the chaos!
  2. Having secure knowledge that they are at the top of their game - whether the next is a neonate born outside the hospital or a senior at end of life.
  3. The "full moon" phenomenon is "real"
  4. The "Q" word is also "real"
  5. Did I mention that ER nurses love chaos?

To all the ER nurses:

  1. Who have stayed over to chart the full arrest...
  2. Who have gotten a rocking chair in the room so a Mom could rock her infant one last time...
  3. Who have taken the time to explain what the provider said over and over again...
  4. Who stays abreast of all the latest trauma research...
  5. Who possess all the ER-specific certs possible...

Thank you for all you do. We all hope we never encounter you at work, but if we do, we know we can count on you.

THANKS!!!!!

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traumaRUs

About traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

Trauma Columnist

14-yr RN experience, ER, ICU, pre-hospital RN, 12+ years experience Nephrology APRN. allnurses Assistant Community Manager. Please let me know how I can help make our site enjoyable.

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Worked in the Emergency Room for 11 years. ER Nurses are the best. Like most nurses we worked a lot without breaks, handling each emergency as it came in with patience, praying at times for God's help as we are trying to save someone. Crying together when we were not able to save a 5 month old baby that the sitter had drugged with Benadryl, propping a bottle up and the child aspirated and could not be saved. Then the Grace from God helped us as that sitter came to the ER hours later for chest pains. Paramedics and Emergency Room Nurses perform miracles all the time. I Salute and have to day I am proud to have been one of them at one time.

Best Wishes to all the Emergency Room Nurses and May You all be shown the Gratitude you Deserve for what you do!

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

During a past emergency event I had as a patient, the Phlebotomist was unable to gain access to my vein, so an ER nurse pulled up a chair next to the gurney I was on, studied my veins, and got immediate access to a good bleeding vein without giving me any discomfort whatsoever.

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Have been an Emergency Nurse since 1996. Love working with a great team and Wish all of former and current team members Happy Emergency Nurses Week

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

I wanted to be an ER nurse, but I got sick instead, So I was forced to go to Plan B. I'm thankful I'm at least able to be on Allnurses. That makes me happy.

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

Love ER, I wish I'd started directly in it although ICU gave me a lot of useful knowledge. To many more! We also don't jinx by saying the type of patient we've never had if we are terrified of it.

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Nurses are great!

I love that there is a week dedicated only dedicated to them!

Nurses are the important part of society!

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Specializes in kids.

Thanks and a shout out to all my sisters and brothers working in the ER! A job I might have pursued at one point in time but my path took me to school nursing, so I ship'm out to you and know they are in good hands!!!

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I feel like ER nurses are so competent and able. I can't wait to experience that myself one day in the ER.

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