what makes you a good ER nurse?

Victoriakem · Nov 10, 2006

Having a short attention span aways helps too. And learning who needs treatment right away & who doesn't & being able to tell people in a nice, but authoritive way that someone is with a critically ill patient & can't come to see them right away, but how about a blanket & the TV remote?

This job has made me impatient with chickensh*t. My mother-in-law wanted to show me her normal lab work, after her yearly physical & I turned her down. She was mad! :devil: But when I told her I looked at lab work all day, she seemed to take it a little better, & this is from a retired nurse. :rolleyes:

LeesieBug · Nov 10, 2006

As a brand new nurse, I would say tenacity...

the fact that I keep coming back for more when I want to tear my hair out from learning all this stuff and dealing c some very difficult clientele! :lol2:

Without the will to keep at it I'd never get any good:wink2:

ND76 · Nov 10, 2006

I think it's a combination of things. I am very fast, organized, and efficient (i.e. multi-tasking) and have the memory of an elephant. I am skilled at procedures and knowledgeable about disease process/trauma. I have an outgoing personality and great sense of humor, which helps me get along with patients, co-workers and physicians while also being able to shield myself from the heartache and the bullshit. When I go home, I'm able to shake it off for the most part.

Spacklehead, MSN, NP · Nov 12, 2006

Being a great team-player and critical-thinker has worked for me. Also, having that gut-feeling when you know something just doesn't look or sound right about a patient and having the ability to communicate that to the doc.

nuangel1, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2006

Assertiveness not aggressiveness. being blunt not mean. The wheels are always turning in my head. I work with the doctors to figure out what is going on. I actually go and review the films with the docs. I assess by eyeballing someone from across the room, and then more detailed later. The biggest thing is a sick personality and a twisted sense of humor. I have yet to meet a ER nurse that couldn't put a drunken sailor to shame.

:yeahthat: also

i feel i am assertive as needed .i am a very strong pt advocate .i don't hesitate to ask the dr a question r/t pt med treatment etc.i am very knowledgeable ,good communicator and team player and i can juggle many tasks at once.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2006

For me a good golf game helps

nursebearfeet · Nov 16, 2006

add/adhd

Victoriakem · Nov 16, 2006

add/adhd

don't for ocd! i swear most of the nurses i work with have it or say they do, because we are so picky how certain things are to be done & charted.:groupwelcome:

AfloydRN, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2006

I am super OCD in organization and prioritization of care. I can multitask like the wind.( I have kids). Reading as much new info as you can get your hands on will help. Go to every educational expo you can.You must really know yourself and what your limitations are. You definetely have to have a sense of humor. You will need it on a daily basis. Sometimes it's all you have.I have ben an RN for quite a while and my complete head to toe is under 1 minute.

scrmblr · Dec 4, 2006

Don't for OCD! I swear most of the nurses I work with have it or say they do, because we are so picky how certain things are to be done & charted.:groupwelcome:

:lol2: I thought nurses with add/adhd belong in ER and OCD nurses belong in ICU;)

mtedards1 · Jul 22, 2008

I have read all of the thoughtful replies to the question, "What traits does a successful emergency room nurse possess?" and I am trying to look critically at my abilities to see if there is any hope for me. Would you say that initially you had your doubts and/or that you felt you were incompetent? I've been in the ED now for six months and feel that I learn several new things each shift, have an excellent rapport with patients, and am generally making progress . . . . at least I thought I was until my manager told me she thought I was struggling and forgetting things I had been told (though I had never been told these things and confirmed this with other new grads in the ED). She went so far as to suggest that I had made a "near miss" medication error only I pull up my own medications and only give medications that I pull up and only after having them checked by another RN. When I asked for specifics she told me that that was not the point. I am most certainly a far cry from being a truly competent ED nurse but didn't think I was so far off. I am rattled now and seem to be making one mistake after another since her little "pep talk." Any advice?

dianabay · Jul 22, 2008

She went so far as to suggest that I had made a "near miss" medication error"

Does anyone know What a "NEAR MISS MED ERROR" is?

You are still learning; do not be hard on yourself. It takes time and experience to feel "confident". Aside from this manager, do you enjoy the work, the type of environment?

I have been a RN since '85 and have managed new hires and other staff members. A good manager would give you the specifics of a med error so you may learn from it and prevent simialar occurences.

This "near miss med error" is ver suspicious; her evasiveness about the details is even more suspect. I consider this a serious allegation; one she should have to prove.

Write her a letter asking for specifics of the "Near Miss" med error. Quote her terminology. Keep it professional and factual. Inform her that IF you made a mistake, you wish to learn from it, which necessitates knowing the details. Ask her to kindly respond IN WRITING.

Why do this? As a manager, she most certainly has documented her own version of this "near miss" med error. Without details, you can not even defend yourself. Without something in writing, it's a she said, she said. This letter will let her know:

a) IF you made a mistake, you are willing to learn from it

b) You are willing to STAND UP for yourself

c) You are NOt as naive as she may think

A good manager does not shake the confidence of her staff but compliments your areas of improvement as well as giving constructive, objective crticism, specifics about the areas requiring improvement, and suggestions as to how you may improve.

I once had a manager like this who made me question whether I was "cut out" for the chosen area-- Maybe you are not; but this particular manager is not a good guage in deciding this. Later, I had a great manager whom displayed all the qualities I listed above, and never again questioned my choice.

If she does not respond, or attempts to respond verbally, write her another (equally professional letter) asking for the details and reiterating your desire to learn from any possible mistake.

I hope this helps; Please let me know how it goes.

Di