Anyone hate the ER at first?

jrring1019 · Aug 9, 2005

ER was the only thing I wanted to do in nursing school, I worked at a smaller ER and I loved every minute of it, I thought it was so much fun. I am two days away from being out of orientation and I think I can honestly say I hate the ER. Did any of you feel this way when you were new? DId you like it after you figured out what was going on? It could be that I am just overwhelmed still (I AM!) It's not the staff, they are nice. I just hate the fact that nothing ever goes smoothly, when I need it, it's not there, everything is constantly broken or lost, I am expected to know what labs to order on a patient who has a condition I have never seen before. The nurses order most of the labs before the doc even sees the patient. I am just really afraid I made a big mistake starting in the ER and now it's too late...

I went to the er after 10 yrs nsg experience (2 tele and 8 OB). I hated it a on my first day and decided to transfer out on my 89th day..I was almost stuck, because you have to stay 1 year if you don' make a change before 90 days. I really tried to like it, and I almost stayed, but I knew that I loved what I used to do and I had to go back. The stuff you mention that you dislike (not knowing labs, being overwhelmed) is NORMAL for a new grad or an experienced nurse in a new specialty. You will feel that way anywhere you go for a while. It is a very different kind of nursing and it isn't for everybody.Many nurses I talked to in the ER said they also hated it in the begining for exactly the reasons you stated, but they stayed and really got comfortable. I was going to stay, but I missed my comfort zone.

If it is too late to transfer now, do your year and I bet you will love it by then. If you don't, you can get any job you want with some ER experience under your belt. You won't regret it.

Happy-ER-RN, RN · Aug 9, 2005

5 weeks!!??
Your NM sounds like a typical, tough, old bag who luckily doesnt take care of pts anymore!!

Ha HA! We don't HAVE nurse manager, OR a nursing director right now both quit right when I started. Yup, I have no boss, I have no person to go talk to if I need to. I have no idea who is even in charge right now! Tonight is my first shift on my own. I had to track down someone and ask if anyone maybe wanted to see my nursing license before I start working on my own! I am surprisingly calm. I just keep telling myself to take it one day at a time, and I know where the code button is and the ambu bag...here goes nothin'.........

TinyNurse, RN · Sep 17, 2005

i can remember as a new ER nurse, i wanted to "camp out" in the waiting room, just to be sure I didn't "miss anything"............omg.......i loved ER from the start.

Trauma Columnist · Sep 17, 2005

Am I understanding that 5 weeks is what you got for orientation???!!! If that is true, that is a true dis-service to you. I work in a level one ER and our new grads (20 of them this time around) receive 12-16 weeks of orientation. I always tell them that they won't feel truly comfortable for up to two years. It really does take that long to be able to care for "whatever comes through the door." However, if you stick it out, you may find that you truly like it. Good luck...life is way too short to be miserable.

KatieBell · Sep 17, 2005

5 weeks is definitely too short for a new Grad in the ER. In addition, it seems as if the problem is not you, or what you like, but in the disorganization of the unit at the moment (you dont know who the boss is, no manager etc!). Nothing is functioning well in that ED.

I have to admit, I went to the ICU for one year after graduation, as that was the entry requirement for ER at the time. I HATED ICU. I switched ICU's because I thought it was the staff or something, but in fact, it was just ICU. When I got the ED job, I was immediately much more comfortable and happy. My ED preceptor was a total jerk, I was the first person she had precepted and she was not very comfortable in the role (She quit to go work for a plastic surgery office after she precepted me!). But I still loved it.

I think in a different situation with an appropriate orientation and a manager who is looking out for you, you would probably enjoy it more. Best wishes for your success- BTW how was the first night on your own?

jbird125 · Sep 21, 2005

Good luck to you in your change!

I know when i first started in A+E (the UK version of ER) my manager said there is no point staying if you don't like it, he said their were two types of people those that loved A+E and those that hated it, there is never anything in between.

I have been reading some of the other posts that have been written in this lot, some of you guys have been discussing 5-12 week orientation programmes, i know when i started i had two weeks, straight out of graduation.

I am something of an anomoly though, i must have been one of the few student nurses who went through my training hating almost all fo the placements, except CCU and OB's, and loving A+E of course. BUT i went into my training knowing i was going to be an A+E nurse at the end of it, Maybe some of us a just drawn to it? maybe we are also mad?