ER clinical today

[SaraRNin2003]

I got to spend the morning in the ER for clinicals. The day started of REALLY slow but picked up quickly. Most of the cases were elderly with lacerations or hypertension or weakness. HOWEVER, we did have a pneumothorax with tension case. It was so cool. The patient had no lung sounds on the left side and you could see in the xray that her heart had been pushed over to the right side and her lung collapsed. I got to participate when the doc put in the chest tube. Well actually I got to hold her breast out of the way and be a shield for her husband who was trying to hold her hand but not see what was going on. There were 2 paramedic students in the room also so there wasn't alot for all of us to do but observe. IT WAS SO COOL!!!!!

Just wanted to drop a note about my day!

Hugs!

SARA

[kittyw]

How cool... I'm writing my pathophys paper on tension pneumothorax.

[KatieBelle]

How cool...we just got through studying that also!

[essarge]

Glad you had a good experience in the ER and got to participate in a procedure. I've worked in the ER and I learned more than any text book could ever teach me. Is this the area that you might be inerested in when you graduate?

[Gigglesforall, BSN, RN]

Sounds so exciting! My first clinical is in the walk-in part of the ER in about two weeks and I am so excited!! (even though I'll probably just be taking vitals and getting a Hx) For the past year I've been thinking about going into Emergency, so I can't wait to see something interesting!!!

[LilgirlRN, ADN, RN]

Congrats to all you students. You'll find the ED somewhat intimidating at first cause there is just so much to know. If you have good instructors and helpful ED nurses you will learn much and enjoy it immensely cause you are almost never bored. I'm not just a nurse, I'm an ER nurse, what I was born to do. Sounds as if some of you think you were too :)