ED Nurse Role Assignments

[EmilyD722]

I work at a level 1 trauma center and am curious about the ways that your Emergency Depts assign roles during a shift (figure out which RNs will be doing triage vs. fast-track vs. part of a care team in the main ED). Are there certain guidelines you follow? Who determines the coverage? Thanks!

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

It's been years but when I worked at an inner city Level 1 Trauma ED, we had various assignments: Triage , Resuscitation or Room 1 and 2, Category 1 or Critical Care area, Category 2 (bulk of ED patients), Category 3 or Urgent Care, and Peds ED. All nurses rotate to all assignments except for new nurses who need 6 months ED experience to be able to do Triage. The shifts are not preassigned but you basically show up on the start of your shift and look at the board for your assignment. It can change everyday but everyone gets to rotate everywhere which seems fair. Some nurses have a preference (likes Peds, likes Category 2) so they typically get those assignments all the time or switch with someone to get the assignment they want.

[Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN]

Charge for that shift makes the assignments, requests can be made by staff for specific assignments, but at times due to experience and staffing needs, you have to go where assigned. You don't get to pick the same rooms every shift, but tend to be able to get them most of the time.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

Our charge nurse makes the assignment and generally rotates assignments but some of the mid-shifters do get stuck in the same spot for multiple shifts... which really sucks if that happens to be triage.

Some of the newer staff won't draw certain assignments for the first year or two...