Am I Cut Out For This?

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Feb 27, 2016

In the ER you get every variety of patient... You can't pick stable/less stable. It's whatever they put in your assigned room. While trauma centers get most trauma patients, every ER will get walk in trauma whether they fell off a 18 ft ladder or got shot a street over. If the idea of truly sick patients scares you away than honestly any position in a hospital is not for you. There are codes in every department.

I think you would like clinic nursing or nursing homes better. As most patients are "stable." But even that you need to be able to assess not sick, and really sick and know what to do when that person comes through the door while someone calls 911. However since it appears you aren't in nursing school yet there is a lot you will experience to help you determine what's a good fit.

in the ER, we get our assigned rooms at beginning of shift. We get report.

Heres my day: An ambi just rolled into my one empty room. She's a CP work up and my others have all been started on their work ups prior and I did a quick walk by to ensure they aren't critical. I get her vitals, line and lab, assess and chart. Then I go to each of my other rooms. I'll save the admit for last because he has tons of admit orders to start and will be the most time consuming. My bowel obstruction pt is writhing in pain. I give him a dose of pain meds and go see my arm/chest/ abd pain who is asking for pain meds. I assess her, and then notify the doc of her request for pain meds. I go back to my bowel obstruction and give him a final dose of pain meds, he's now comfortable enough for me to place an NGT. Yay we got it on the first try. Then I go to my everywhere pain lady because she has pain med orders. I then run to my guy to start his admit orders. Everywhere pain lady is now discharged. I ensure she has a safe ride and go over discharge instructions. I then clean the gurney pick up the room and onto my next patient.

One day I get be triage, next day I might do lunch relief, which is very challenging having only each assignment for an hour, the next I might be float/flow facilitator, but most days I just have assigned rooms and whatever shows up in them. You never know where you will be assigned until you show up. Some love the flow of the chaos and thrive, others get PTSD.

LPNTOBE2017 · Feb 27, 2016

Hello, NickiLaughs

First. I want to thank you responding to my post. I agree with you in regards to perhaps working with more stable patience. The only experience that have working around patience was in a nursing home as a nurses aide for 5 years. I really liked working with the elderly. I think perhaps that I might become a Geriatric Nurse. I know that I am getting ahead of myself. I think that I will know better what I can do once I start a nursing program and get into the clinicals perhaps I might change my mind who knows maybe I'll end up in the emergency room:unsure:

ShaneTeam · Mar 9, 2016

Hello,

Are you going to be a RN or a LPN?

LPNTOBE2017 · Mar 9, 2016

Hello,

I was going to become a LPN but with much research and talking with a few nurses I am going to go the RN route.

ShaneTeam · Mar 10, 2016

Congrats on your decision! The wonderful part is you will see both specialties during clinicals. Keep your mind open, and you might even find another area you enjoy more. I envy you of where you are in your career! It is such an exciting time.

I had asked, since your name had thrown me off, and the duties of a LPN would be very different from the PP, who was explaining RN duties. And as she alluded to, no matter where you go, if you are bedside, you will be always looking for changes in your charges that could mean they are about to crash. But you will learn how to find such clues in school, so they can be addressed before they escalate to that level.

Again, good luck, and congrats!