Do you think nurses aren’t taught enough about general emergencies/basic info about emergency medicine?

Nurses General Nursing

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Random question, do you think we don’t get enough training on basic emergency medicine/situations? For example, when you’re in a focused speciality, you know so much about your particular specialty but when a patient comes along with another issue do feel like you know enough basics to provide proper care? For example, I’m a peds cardiac nurse and I know a lot about my specialty but if someone is my family is having neurological issues, I’m almost no help. It feels kind of pathetic to be honest. Because of it, some family members like to make rude comments saying nurses don’t know anything and I’m useless when someone is having a medical issue because I don’t know anything. It’s so frustrating to be so belittled all the time, especially because I’m the only one in the family who is in medicine.

Specializes in Corrections, Dementia/Alzheimer's.

I learned what to do during a grand mal seizure while it was happening, same for an MI. Luckily I had good backup both days. I did feel quite dumb though, and almost threw in the towel. I was angry management left me so unprepared. We had a good talk after that :).

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As Nurses we are not educated enough on emergency situations and it's not your fault. The way Nursing school is set up we spend a lot of time studying out dated nursing interventions and theory's that are useless.

In other countries in a 4 year nursing program they train and shadow with ems while we waste out time with pointless bsn courses that don't extend our scope or help us to be more comfortable and competent health care providers.

Either way in most cases solid bls will help until als can come or a person can be brought to a hospital. Forget you're relatives everyone criticizes nurses but few could actually do the job themselves!!!

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

Nursing school doesn't go deep into any subject. I am a parent of 2 type 1 diabetic kids. When I post in my FB groups, they are all apoplectic about nurses not knowing the ins and outs of type one diabetes.

It seems that everyone, including new nurses (sometimes) things they are going to come out knowing a lot more than they do.

This is why med/surg is recommended, I believe. I work inpatient ortho. Adults. I know next to nothing about pediatrics.

Now because many of our pts are older, we see a lot of co-morbid conditions (we joke that we are a med/surge floor w/ortho added in). After 7 years, I feel comfortable with many things. I am uncomfortable with bad resp issues, unstable cardiac stuff, and, like I said, peds. Now give me all the diabetic patients and I am happy!

Everyone's education and interests are different. I am not interested at all in emergency medicine. I can handle an emergent situation, but not some crash on the side of the road (I bet I could triage a little)

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Specializes in ICU.
On 9/22/2019 at 2:30 PM, stacylethani said:

Random question, do you think we don’t get enough training on basic emergency medicine/situations? For example, when you’re in a focused speciality, you know so much about your particular specialty but when a patient comes along with another issue do feel like you know enough basics to provide proper care? For example, I’m a peds cardiac nurse and I know a lot about my specialty but if someone is my family is having neurological issues, I’m almost no help. It feels kind of pathetic to be honest. Because of it, some family members like to make rude comments saying nurses don’t know anything and I’m useless when someone is having a medical issue because I don’t know anything. It’s so frustrating to be so belittled all the time, especially because I’m the only one in the family who is in medicine.

So my dad had an accident at home and said "I wish she was here. She'd know what to do." To which, my mom replied "she works in the ICU, she doesn't do ortho, dummy." ?At the time, I was in a MICU and hadn't started trauma yet.

For the family member who tells me i don't know anything, i tell them to ask someone else then. Tell them to access Dr. GOOGLE. I'm sure they'll find all the misinformation they want.

Sorry. I've lost some patience with the general attitude of people when it comes to my job.

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Specializes in PICU.

Nursing school prepares you to enter into the world of nursing. Emergency medicine is a speciality that needs training. The great thing about nursing is that there are so many areas to work i.

Outside of the hospital setting, the only thing I have to use is myself. I can call 911, if someone stops breathing or does not have a heart rate I can call 911. I can do the heimlich if someone is choking. if someone is seizing, keep things out of their way. Then wait for 911 to arrive.

OP there is no need for you to specialize in Adult neuro as well as peds cards unless you want to. I think the general public does not have a clear idea of the different specializations and just how much nurses know in their specialty.

Usually when someone asks me about another specialty I ask "Oh, so what have you been told" I get them talking and then I can give a few statementys in between. Once you get them talking a lot of times they are just curious about something,

Let them be.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

One thing I recommend for everyone is bleeding control training:

https://www.bleedingcontrol.org/may/learn-how

This is very valuable training and RNs can apply to be instructors once they have had the initial training.

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Hate to hijack the post. But there is a gun control ad that shows how classmates can use their socks as a tourniquet to control bleeding if there is an active shooter in their school Soooooooo depressing!

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Specializes in SRNA.

Sounds like you have an ignorant family is all.

My wife used to say similar things to me about how I am a nurse and should know "certain" things. I was an ICU nurse and I would always response the same.... If you are trying to die I'll save you. Sorry I can't pull a possible diagnosis from your obscure s/s with no lab work, imagining, or tests haha

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Specializes in anesthesiology.
4 hours ago, PropofolForAll said:

Sounds like you have an ignorant family is all.

My wife used to say similar things to me about how I am a nurse and should know "certain" things. I was an ICU nurse and I would always response the same.... If you are trying to die I'll save you. Sorry I can't pull a possible diagnosis from your obscure s/s with no lab work, imagining, or tests haha

I'm in the same exact position as you and had the SAME response. You just stop breathing or have a heart attack and I got you babe. Take your cough and achy tummy somewhere else.

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Specializes in anesthesiology.

I once had a GI doc ask me what MAP meant (mean arterial pressure). You can't know everything. Maybe an emergency med doc has the most training for any general issues you might come across on the street. But then these are the same people the rest of the hospital pokes fun at because they always seem to be grasping for straws and missing things. No one's perfect. Your family doesn't have a clue.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

I know whether a problem is a 911 call, urgent care, doctor appt within a few days or something I can fix myself. I know CPR and basic first aid.

And that's all I need to know.

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

There is specialties for a reason. Nurses DO learn ACLS etc of their specialty demands it. I worked ER for 10 years and have passed several accidents/potential emergencies where my husband asked if we should stop. My answer is always NO. I have no equipment not am I an independent practicioner, beyond basic CPR and calling 911 there is nothing I can do. Obviously I'd stop if safe as first on scene. There is no scenario I can think of where I'd be able to do anything beyond that.

Don't let your family get you down. I also don't give medical advice and tell everyone to see their doc. If they want help that bad they should go to the person they pay for. Reality is they should go to the person who can help them long term.

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