Finally!!!

[ERNurseErica, BSN, RN]

Hello,

Yay! I have finally secured an Emergency Room Technician position at my local hospital (literally walking distance from my house). It has been a long journey for me and the nursing field, largely due to me allowing other responsibilities delay my commitment. I believe that this new position will put me right where I need to be as far as becoming a Registered Nurse. I am so excited and a little nervous all at the same time. Just to give you a little background, I am a CNA/GNA who is currently working at an assisted living and at a skilled nursing facility as a Unit Secretary. I have learned a lot about nursing in the last two years, but there is still so much more to cover. There are so many questions running through my mind as my start date quickly approaches.

- How helpful will this job be when it comes to nursing school and taking the NCLEX?

- Is training going to be as rigorous as it seems?

- Are there any tips I should know (before training) about starting IVs or drawing blood?

- What can I do to hit the ground running?

- How will the other techs and nurses treat me?

- What are the emergency room nurses' expectations of me? How can I best assist them?

- What can I do to adjust to my 12 hour shifts (evening and night)?

- Is it better to work five 8 hour shifts or four shifts (two 12s and two 8s)?

I NEED TIPS AND LOTS OF THEM! HELP!

[nalie2, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm currently a nursing student (3rd semester) and a student nurse worker in the ER. While I don't have the most experience to answer your question I can tell you that what you will learn will depend on the staff. The hospital I work at is a teaching hospital and most staff LOVE to teach those who are interested and ask questions. Be friendly with the staff and ask questions. Do whatever they ask of you and do it with a smile. I learn so much in nursing school but it is different on the field when you try to apply it. So it is nice to hear other nurse's perspective and rationale. Tell the staff that you're a nursing student so they call you over when an interesting case comes along and teach you things on the job. As for adjusting to 12 hours shifts...I'm not sure what you can do to adjust but try getting as much done on your days off as possible so you can come home and relax after work. For me personally, I would rather work 8 hour shifts than 12 hours, but I know most prefer 12s. I think that is a preference.

[nalie2, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, NP]

By the way, congrats on getting the job.