Burnout rate?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Hello everyone~I am going to be starting my second year in a BSN program, and am considering working in the ED after I graduate. I might be phrasing this question weird, but bear with me, please. I was wondering if ER nurses burnout faster than floor nurses, like if on average they usually work it for only so many years and switch to the floor. If so, anyone have a guess as to how many years that could be? I guess everyone is different, but I was wondering if this was the trend or not.

Thank you,

Jackie

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Unfortunately, the new trend is to keep ED patients in the ED until they can get a bed in the hospital. Problem is, ED nurses want to do ED work, not floor nursing. The ED is not set up to do floor nursing and if you have never done it, well, then, it is twice as hard.

Find an ED that has a cohesive staff and a good manager. I have my BSN, too.

The beauty of the ED is that if you get a PIA patient, (that is pain in the A$$), you don't have to have them very long. (unless they stay waiting for a bed).

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Howdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

Well Jackie, the ER is like anywhere else and unlike anywhere else also, Ive been in it for a long time now. Ive seen nurse get burned out and leave just like antwhere else in nursing. The ER is a very demanding taskmaster. The trick is to keep balance in your life. Do not let the ER become your main focus in life. Spend time with your family and friends. Play a lot of Golf or whatever, you need good physical release. For some good spirituality is a plus also. I pray a lot. Particularly when Im looking at a 30 foot putt for a eagle.

doo wah ditty

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Specializes in ER, PACU, OR.

ditto on what tom said!

short of that, i think er nurses get burned out by the politics of the organization, more than the work itself. like the customer is always right, which we all know isn't true.

in addition, when family members come in and try to tell you how to do your job, or double check something. that all happens anywhere, including the floors also. we have a unit nurse, that came to the er about 18 months ago? the one thing she said after about 9 months: "it amazes me at how much verbal abuse and crap you guys take down here! i had know idea it was like this? at least in the unit everybody is relatively happy, even at a bad time."

going back to your question.............

do nurses leave the er to go to the floor? no

i have seen them go to, other er's, cath lab, radiology, pacu, critical care transport, and even to clinics of private insurance companies and similar. the other place they go, is to agency nursing. they still work er, and are probably the happiest out of the bunch from what i have seen. no mandatory weekends, holidays, o/t or off shifts, better pay by far.........and they are not obligated to any of the system bs.

me :)

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Ditto what Tom & Rick said

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Specializes in ER, PACU, OR.

lmao! @ lynne :chuckle

me :)

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Thank you so much for your replies everyone! I really appreciate it.

~Jackie

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Hjowdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

yalls welcome anyoletime

doo wah ditty

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