ER newbie here, please give me some tips to meet my co-workers expectation

lyraesullivan · Jan 13, 2007

Welcome to the ER.

Things I always tell my preceptees.

1. Give yourself a full year to adjust and feel comfortable.

2. Ask questions please, there is nothing more dangerous than trying to figure it out on your own.

3. If your work is caught up, help others, this is a team and we all help each other.

4. In a code, the patient is dead....you can't hurt them but anything you do may help them. Relax, take a deep breath and do one thing at a time. You will do fine.

5. Good charting is essential, ER nurses have a higher incidence of being involved in litigation. ER patients make more complaints to administration also, if the patient was cursing and spitting and assaulting you make sure you get that all down because they or their family will be calling your director tomorrow to tell them how badly the nurse treated them.

Things that will make your patients love you:

1. Give them plenty of warm blankets and a pillow. ER carts are uncomfortable and ER's are cold. Both make being sick worse. Keep the sheets dry and unwrinkled, when you are sick and in pain those wrinkles feel like mount Everest.

2. Turn down the bright flourescents and do the best you can to keep the environment comfortable.

3. Keep them informed...."We are going to do some labs and an xray. The lab work takes about an hour, I will let you and the doctor know when everything is back." or "sorry about the wait, the doctor has been caught up with a critical patient and a trauma but everything is under control and he is looking at your stuff now."

4. address pain and nausea.

new er nurse, BSN, RN · Jan 13, 2007

Congratulations! I'm on my second year and wouldn't change places with anyone.

Don't forget to keep the doc updated on the patient. If their blood pressure is dropping the doc needs to know. Any unusual changes tell the doc.

I had a patient last month who came in by EMS. The patient complaint seemed vague - he won't talk to us. He might have taken some pills but he won't tell us. Of course he wasn't sent to a trauma room because of how vague EMS was. I walked in the room saw immediately something was not right with this patient (profuse sweating, unresponsive). I went straight to a doctor. She came back looked at him and agreed. He was moved to a trauma room (supervisor questioned why I thought he needed to be moved), received an intense work up and was flown to a trauma center. He hadn't taken a few pills of one of his prescriptions buy had overdosed on corcidin ("skittles") which can be life threatening. Just one example of why I love having the docs work side by side and back you when you think something is not right.

curlewis · Jan 21, 2007

When orientating new staff, i recommend imagining 'worst case scenario'with each patient...'what will it be and what am i going to do about it'. That way when and if, it happens you have at least thought it through and will be somewhat prepared.

Boston64 · Jan 21, 2007

i will be assiegned to ER,and it is my first job experience, please give me some tips... especially transcultural nursing and trauma... thanks in advance

Hi! I suggest watching your coworkers in action, if you are not in the middle of it, and see what you like that they did , said, etc, and then compliment them on it.

Taking what we like and giving the person credit is a great morale booster and friend maker.

My best nursing memory was when, after a crisis, a peer complimented me on the way in handled an emergency, under stress.

Good luck and God bless!

"He who sings prays twice" I suggest we sing a lot as we all need all the help we can get.

NicoleRN07, RN · Jan 28, 2007

know what your limitations are...don't get caught up in something you're unsure of. don't be afraid to ask questions! i've been in nursing for 7 years, and the er for 3, and there are still things i have to ask about. use each patient as a learning experience...what did you do this time that you could do differently next time. last, but certainly not least, de-brief with your co-workers.....it helps with the mental and emotional exhaustion!!

YanRN · Jan 29, 2007

I am heading into year two as an ER RN (worked as a ER tech for 2 yrs before). One thing that has helped me is to try to be the one to chart when a code blue or red rolls through the door. You get to watch the experienced RNs go to town and you get a good chance to learn your ER protocols.

Also, I'd echo whoever said make the techs your friends, respect what they do and offer to help them if you can (you know, clean a room, empty a sharps...) a good tech is priceless!