How do you know if your meant to work in the ER?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Hello,

I'm currently in school getting ready to go off to clinicals. I have had my heart and mind set on the ER for the longest. I love the fast paced, bloody gory things that go on. But how do I know for sure that the ER is the place for me? How did you know the ER was the place for you? How do you handle the pressure? I just have a lot of questiions.

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Hello, Futurenewgrad. Have you done your preceptorship yet? If you are just starting clinicals try to find out what you can do to do some time in the ER. The best way to find out is to experience it yourself.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.
Hello, Futurenewgrad. Have you done your preceptorship yet? If you are just starting clinicals try to find out what you can do to do some time in the ER. The best way to find out is to experience it yourself.

I agree, the best way is to experience it yourself. If your program does a preceptorship towards the end, try to get into the ER so you can experience it first hand. Or ask local hospitals about shadowing opportunities.

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Many hospitals offer volunteer opportunities in the ER. Look at hospitals' websites and inquire about volunteering in the ER. Good luck!

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Things I look for when I precept new-grads (15+ yrs in an ER):

- Eagerness (If everyone is rushing to a room, I want to see them rushing too without me telling you.)

- Outgoing (You can't be shy in the ER!)

- Strong Personality (Got to Challenge ER Docs at times)

- ADD (They are best focused in chaos "traumas")

- If you like the Adrenaline Rush

- Must have a good sense of humor! (All the politically incorrect jokes said among-st ER staff, can usually never be said in any other department)

GoodLuck!

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Just keep in mind the ER is not all blood and gore....a lot of system abuse. Can you keep your head straight when the FD is bringing you yet ANOTHER "chest cold" or the "sugar diabetus" (spelled wrong on purpose). Can you resist the urge to throw down your pen and walk out?

Posting from my phone, ease forgive my fat thumbs! :)

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Specializes in ED.

I knew after my first clinical day in the ER that I now work in. I liked the flow, I liked the pace. It just felt right to me, and at the end of my program, I knew the ER was where I was supposed to be.

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Ditto to what previous posters said. Also, no two EDs are the same. I believe I've worked in 5 different EDs in my 5 yrs of ED nursing (the other 13 spent in various med-surg-tele units) ranging from a level IV with 13 beds to an 80 bed level I regional medical center. While the pace is almost always fast, that could be fast turnover from "clinic" patients to fast as in 2 out of your 5 pts are ICU holds, a GI bleed, a walkin STEMI and your 80 yr old demented nursing home pt. Fitting in the ED is like everyone says: you have to experience first. But you definitely can't be timid or get your feelings hurt easily, should have a good sense of rapid think on your feet prioritization, have a extremely tolerant sense of humor, and I think of great importance- have a way to destress effectively. Though not easily offended, I was shy and a bit under confident when I started there but now I wouldn't go back to a regular floor for anything! Good luck to you....keep your eyes and ears open, never stop learning, and take every opportunity to do something new

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I volunteered in the ED where I currently work, 90% is the boring stuff like trip and falls in the elderly, people that have googled symptoms and swear they're dying and others that use the ED as a GP service instead of actually going to a GP.

I did ambulance ride alongs to get use to prehospital care and what paramedics do.

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Specializes in ED.

This could be a pretty interesting thread. You know you where meant to work in the ED when.........

You can differentiate the PID shuffle from the stone dance. You know the name of the 50 year old male abdominal pain before they arrive via ambulance. You know that a cold washcloth to the head will stop the pseudo seizure in the waiting room. You hear the words, "Me and my friends decided to......" and not roll your eyes and even act like it was something you've never heard before.

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Ditto to what previous posters said. Also no two EDs are the same. I believe I've worked in 5 different EDs in my 5 yrs of ED nursing (the other 13 spent in various med-surg-tele units) ranging from a level IV with 13 beds to an 80 bed level I regional medical center. While the pace is almost always fast, that could be fast turnover from "clinic" patients to fast as in 2 out of your 5 pts are ICU holds, a GI bleed, a walkin STEMI and your 80 yr old demented nursing home pt. Fitting in the ED is like everyone says: you have to experience first. But you definitely can't be timid or get your feelings hurt easily, should have a good sense of rapid think on your feet prioritization, have a extremely tolerant sense of humor, and I think of great importance- have a way to destress effectively. Though not easily offended, I was shy and a bit under confident when I started there but now I wouldn't go back to a regular floor for anything! Good luck to you....keep your eyes and ears open, never stop learning, and take every opportunity to do something new[/quote']

I just started to work in ER and will take your post as one of my guidelines. Thank you.

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Specializes in Emergency.

You can differentiate the PID shuffle from the stone dance.

Tee Hee... Thanks for the giggle!

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