I am a public health nurse that may be making a change to become an ER nurse.
Aside from, of course, extensive on the job training, does anyone recommend anything? Any books (I've been on Amazon.com and searched for "emergency nursing"), but is there anything else all of you would recommend? Either in terms of book learning or didactic (clinical) learning?
If this has been previously discussed, I apologize. I am eager to learn from everyone's wisdom on this board.
I just wanted to say I am new to this forum and I recently made the change to ER nursing. I have been an RN for 11 years: 2 of those years in CCU and then the rest in cardiac rehab where we monitor about 8-10 cardiac patients every other day, do lots of patient teaching and have the occasional emergency. While I felt pretty good about the cardiac part, I was VERY scared about the wounds, the psych patients and all the others stuff you never really deal with when you take care of ambulatory cardiac patients !
I made the switch in May and while it has been busy and challenging, I am SO happy I did it ! I was stuck in a rut, doing the same thing every day (although with wonderful,wonderful coworkers that were hard to leave). I am challenging my brain and loving my new coworkers who are over-the-top friendly and helpful and have never once rolled their eyes when I ask questions like "how do I apply an air cast ?" and "sooooo what do you do with the guy who asks (before his gown on) if he can have his Dilaudid in the right hip instead of the left ?"
My best advice would be to expect to feel really dumb for awhile, phrase your questions in a way that lets your new coworkers know that you *are* thinking; request from your preceptor that they "think out loud" so you can learn to organize and manage your time and to learn their critical thinking process. I also carry an ER/Trauma Checkmate that has been helpful for me. I found that my most helpful preceptor days were when I had a preceptor who did NOT do things for me. Some days I felt like tying them down because they would go do stuff while I was otherwise occupied....they could simply not sit still. It didn't go far in teaching me time mgmt and other skills.
I recently got a "thank you " card from our ER Dr's with a NICE monetary gift as well .... they thanked all the staff for the crazy days we have had the past few months because they were a bit understaffed. I've never in my 11 years received a thank you like that....I feel a part of a very appreciated team.
Good luck with the switch. I was off orientation in 6 weeks....but was told repeatedly that I could stay on orientation as long as I felt I needed to do so.
I will continue to read this board until I find out if I have been able to secure the ER position. I do think this is a wonderful and useful site. Thanks for all of the tips and keep your fingers crossed.
I hope this doesn't sound stupid but I'm curious to know how staffing in the ER works. Does a nurse get assigned to a slot/room and gets whomever comes into those slots/rooms? All I know is Med/Surg nursing where we're assigned to patients based on acuity (or closeness of rooms). Thanks in advance.
I work in a little tiny hospital (37 beds) and split my time between the ICU/ER. Usually, there are 3 nurses working in theER. One to triage (facility policy dictates that only RN's can do this), one (usually the more experienced) to cover the trauma rooms, and one to cover the not-so-sick rooms. However, of course, it is expected that everyone works as a team and there is no "that's not my patient". If someone is sick enough to be in er, then that's everyone's patient. We also usually have a paramedic or 2 hanging out with us to start IV's, restrain the more violent/combative/ mentally altered patients, help with patient care, etc....
Guess what? I found out on Thursday that I got the ER position. I'm excited yet nervous to leave my "comfort zone". I also completed my ACLS training this past weekend and I must say how overwhelmed I feel (already). If I wasn't so rushed to get my ACLS (ER training starts on 7/18 and I had to get my ACLS before then) I would've taken my time to refresh my memory of EKG and maybe take a pre-ACLS class first (It takes me a while to grasp this kind of stuff). Instead, I walked away from a "Low-Stress" ACLS certification class feeling dumber than ever. Not really knowing for sure that I understood what was covered. I mean, how much of this will I have to know? I'm probably going to forget this by the time my training starts in a week. I'm hoping that I'll understand this more and more when we start the ER training and on-the-job training.
I feel nervous about this change. I'm on the verge of telling my Ortho/Surgical manager that I don't want to transfer anymore (just kidding...well...sorta) Someone tell me that this is normal and that I'll be okay.
Congrats!! Good advice. If someone says they are going to die... Get the crash cart... because they usually do. Foleys and Haldol are your best friends. Don't feed the homeless too much!! They keep coming back!! Sounds bad but you'll see. Good luck!! :rotfl:
Hi, everyone!
I am a public health nurse that may be making a change to become an ER nurse.
Aside from, of course, extensive on the job training, does anyone recommend anything? Any books (I've been on Amazon.com and searched for "emergency nursing"), but is there anything else all of you would recommend? Either in terms of book learning or didactic (clinical) learning?
If this has been previously discussed, I apologize. I am eager to learn from everyone's wisdom on this board.
I am scared too. I have done a little bit of everything, but this is a whole new ball of wax, I have done some "light" triage, have talked some psych patients into admission, and I have done simple regular med/surg skills in a fast track, but this new ER gig is sort of freaking me out.
One big thing I know going in, customer satisfication is really big, so ok, but how do you satisfy a drunk? A family who just lost their loved one even though they knew it could happen anytime, it's on your shift and they are looking to blame someone? How do you tell a doctor to kiss off and smile so no one else understands you cannot stand him/her?
I am ready to run too but for some silly reason, maybe its the money, I have made up my mind to give it a try. I guess they can sweep me out if I am no good or I can always go back to med/surg.
I will keep my fingers crossed and wishing all of us "newbies" good luck and good nursing.
Hey all Just wanted to say that I had my first shift off of orientation today!! And it was great, I was a little nervous but everythng was fine. But I was the brunt of the jokes today, see at my ER you are given a quad of rooms and you care for the patients that are put in those rooms. They had a code before my shift started adn the family was still veiwing the body in one of my rooms, and the rest of my rooms were empty. So to make a long story short my first official patient by myself was DEAD!!!!!!!!!!! Did I mention how much I love my job, it is never the same everyday and you cant dread going to work because you dont know what will walk through the door. :)
I just want to add. Trust your gut. If you have that feeling SOMETHING is wrong, trust it. Sometimes thats all you have to go on. And as always give it time. It WILL come. You will look up one day and you are going in there diving into a trauma and not even thinking about it. Also if someone smells drunk always multiply how many beers they CLAIM to have drank by 3 then you will usually come up with the correct amount. :) Good luck
Don't let these ER nurses scare you!!!! You are just as good as they were when they started!!! I've noticed over time some people's heads get bigger and bigger!!! You're always learning and always getting better. NO ONE KNOWS EVERYTHING!!! No matter what they tell you. Trust your gut and use common scense and you'll be fine.
And remember what your Mom told you in 3rd grade. "If they know it bothers you they'll keep teasing you"
did you know that most librarians in the hospitals can order books for you alot cheaper than you could buy outside & they may be able to recommend to you what books to buy. plus you dont pay any tax
Someone tell me that this is normal and that I'll be okay.
carachel2
1,116 Posts
I just wanted to say I am new to this forum and I recently made the change to ER nursing. I have been an RN for 11 years: 2 of those years in CCU and then the rest in cardiac rehab where we monitor about 8-10 cardiac patients every other day, do lots of patient teaching and have the occasional emergency. While I felt pretty good about the cardiac part, I was VERY scared about the wounds, the psych patients and all the others stuff you never really deal with when you take care of ambulatory cardiac patients !
I made the switch in May and while it has been busy and challenging, I am SO happy I did it ! I was stuck in a rut, doing the same thing every day (although with wonderful,wonderful coworkers that were hard to leave). I am challenging my brain and loving my new coworkers who are over-the-top friendly and helpful and have never once rolled their eyes when I ask questions like "how do I apply an air cast ?" and "sooooo what do you do with the guy who asks (before his gown on) if he can have his Dilaudid in the right hip instead of the left ?"
My best advice would be to expect to feel really dumb for awhile, phrase your questions in a way that lets your new coworkers know that you *are* thinking; request from your preceptor that they "think out loud" so you can learn to organize and manage your time and to learn their critical thinking process. I also carry an ER/Trauma Checkmate that has been helpful for me. I found that my most helpful preceptor days were when I had a preceptor who did NOT do things for me. Some days I felt like tying them down because they would go do stuff while I was otherwise occupied....they could simply not sit still. It didn't go far in teaching me time mgmt and other skills.
I recently got a "thank you " card from our ER Dr's with a NICE monetary gift as well .... they thanked all the staff for the crazy days we have had the past few months because they were a bit understaffed. I've never in my 11 years received a thank you like that....I feel a part of a very appreciated team.
Good luck with the switch. I was off orientation in 6 weeks....but was told repeatedly that I could stay on orientation as long as I felt I needed to do so.