Emergency Room Nurses!!!! HELP!

JStyles1 · Oct 7, 2009

I am a Pre-Nursing student and i have a paper due where I had to find a person in my field to interview. I couldn't find any ER nurses who had any time to answer my interview questions and my paper is due in a week=/ if you are an ER nurse please take the time to answer my questions=)
What is the most exciting aspect of being an Emergency Room Nurse?
the variety of patients i see in a day and knowing at least once during the day i'll have the chance to save a life
What is the deciding factor between letting a patient going home and admitting them into the hospital?
nurses aren't the ones in charge of making the decision to admit a patient and there are too many variations in the situation to list one specifically. mostly it's because the patient needs to be monitored
What incident shocked you the most?
i'm an ER nurse, nothing shocks me
Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t know what to do?
not really. i credit that to good training/education
What are some major differences between Emergency Room Nursing and being a nurse on a med/surg floor?
ER nursing assessments are focused assessments based on what the patient is there for. ER nursing is based on making sure the patient lives to be able to make it to the floor
In college, why did you choose nursing?
I was interested in the human body and my college roommate introduced me to nursing
Why emergency room nursing?
b/c it is the most exciting and versatile discipline
Where there any other fields of nursing that interested you?
did icu for a little bit, too boring watching patients on the vent sleep all the time
What kind of person does it take to be a nurse?
dedicated, caring, intelligent
What is the most rewarding part of being a nurse?
knowing i can save a life
What is the most difficult part about being an emergency room nurse?
seeing people depend on you to get them through one of the most trying times in their life and knowing nothing you do will be able to pull them through it
What is your least favorite part of nursing?
people that think nurses are there to be your butler. i'm here to save your ass, not kiss it
When was the first time you have witnessed someone die?
when i was in nursing school working in the ER. don't remember the specifics of it though

there you go

bridgedrn · Oct 8, 2009

I am a Pre-Nursing student and i have a paper due where I had to find a person in my field to interview. I couldn't find any ER nurses who had any time to answer my interview questions and my paper is due in a week=/ if you are an ER nurse please take the time to answer my questions=)

What is the most exciting aspect of being an Emergency Room Nurse? The most exciting part is knowing that at any minute anything can walk or be wheeled through the doors. The constant anticipation

What is the deciding factor between letting a patient going home and admitting them into the hospital?

There are many deciding factors. The biggest factors are the patient, the labs, history of the patient.

What incident shocked you the most?

There have been many. We had an all out brawl happen not so long ago, it started out with a patient and family member for another patient and then ended with more patients and more family member who did not even know each other. The police had to come and break it up, it was a complete mess.

Have you ever been in a situation where you didn't know what to do?

That happens sometimes. Thankfully, you are never alone and there are nurses and doctors who do know what to do in most situations.

What are some major differences between Emergency Room Nursing and being a nurse on a med/surg floor?

I find that in the ER most of the staff works together as a team. We could not do what we do without having each other's backs. I think we laugh more in the ER also.

In college, why did you choose nursing?

It sounds corny, but I knew I wanted to change the world somehow and I think this is how I was meant to do it.

Why emergency room nursing?

I get bored very easily. I used to watch the television shows like Trauma Life in the ER and think, "hey I would love to do that". Now I am doing it and know that it is way different than the television shows.

I think in ER nursing, you truly have the chance to saves lives multiple times a week.

Where there any other fields of nursing that interested you?

Pediatrics

What kind of person does it take to be a nurse?

A person with a strong back bone. A person who is not easily intimidated. Bottom line, a nurse is the patient's advocate and must be willing to perform as one.

What is the most rewarding part of being a nurse?

When someone smiles and says thank you or gives you a hug because you made them feel better.

What is the most difficult part about being an emergency room nurse?

The utter chaos! It is organized chaos but crazy nonetheless. There is always something to be done or someone to be seen.

What is your least favorite part of nursing?

No time for eating, drinking or using the bathroom.

When was the first time you have witnessed someone die?

It was very early in my ER career. I think I had been in the ER for about 2 weeks when the first code came in. I handled it ok in the ER, but when I left, I cried.

MikeyBSN · Oct 8, 2009

I am a Pre-Nursing student and i have a paper due where I had to find a person in my field to interview. I couldn't find any ER nurses who had any time to answer my interview questions and my paper is due in a week=/ if you are an ER nurse please take the time to answer my questions=)
What is the most exciting aspect of being an Emergency Room Nurse?
Every day is something new. I've seen some "good" traumas and we deal with both stable and unstable patients. We are the ones who handle any type of mass disaster, plane crashes (which we have had) and other disasters.
What is the deciding factor between letting a patient going home and admitting them into the hospital?
That's up to the doctor. If the patient needs prolonged therapy or they are unstable they get admitted. If they have something like "back pain" and keep saying that the pain medication we give them isn't helping then they get admitted. Sometimes we do "social admits" where we admit patients because we don't know what else to do with them.
What incident shocked you the most?
I had a lady dump her teenager off in our waiting room once because she didn't want him anymore. I've seen patients fall out of ceiling tiles, waterfalls in the middle of the hallway. Nothing really shocks me anymore.
Have you ever been in a situation where you didn't know what to do?
No.
What are some major differences between Emergency Room Nursing and being a nurse on a med/surg floor?
We are more concerned with prioritization and stabilization, generally. Med surg nurses are more concerned with routine medication, preventing infection and all that good stuff.
In college, why did you choose nursing?
Because I couldn't cut it in Hollywood.
Why emergency room nursing?
It's the most fun.
Where there any other fields of nursing that interested you?
I liked my peds rotation.
What kind of person does it take to be a nurse?
Anybody I guess.
What is the most rewarding part of being a nurse?
is this where I'm supposed to say "making a difference?"
What is the most difficult part about being an emergency room nurse?
The turnover rate is very high and we have to put up with a lot of nonsense
What is your least favorite part of nursing?
Putting up with nonsense.
When was the first time you have witnessed someone die?
I don't remember the exact time.

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EDRN357 · Oct 8, 2009

what is the most exciting aspect of being an emergency room nurse?

the adrenaline rush that i get when ambulances arrive and you only get half of the story. then you're there trying to piece together information in order to get to the "real" problem.

what is the deciding factor between letting a patient going home and admitting them into the hospital?

the deciding factor between discharge and admission is how the patient responds to the treatment, whether or not the labs dictate another issue that needs to be addressed, and if the patient or caregiver feels that they are capable of continuing the care on an outpatient basis.

what incident shocked you the most?

when a 21 year old male came in complaining of abdominal pain and didn't tell us the story behind the abdominal pain until we took and xr and found out that he had a prophylactic device stuck in his rectum.

have you ever been in a situation where you didn't know what to do?

not really. i was taught by the best and i continued to perfect my assessment skills and intuition in order to think and act quickly to prevent a poor outcome.

what are some major differences between emergency room nursing and being a nurse on a med/surg floor?

some major differences are that ed nurses are always thinking of how to stabilize the patient in order to get them to desired unit and med-surg nurses get a chance to interact with their patients longer. they also get a chance to perform more bedside procedures that an ed nurse may be unfamiliar with.

in college, why did you choose nursing?

i chose nursing because i knew that i wanted to provide care to people on an emotional level. i wanted to make a difference in someone's life just by being there and doing things for them even it was just to listen. in a nutshell, i love helping people. i know that sounds cliche, but it's the truth.

why emergency room nursing?

i started out as an ob nurse. it was nice for awhile, but i felt as if i was missing something. i wanted more action. i wanted to do more things. i wanted more variety. i wanted to see more patient populations.

were there any other fields of nursing that interested you?

the other nursing fields that interested me were: or and icu.

what kind of person does it take to be a nurse?

a person that can conquer adversity, take on any challenge that may stand in his/her way, be a true advocate for patients' rights, uphold justice when it comes to patients, one that is not afraid to be a team player, one that learns from mistakes and can admit their mistakes. one that asks questions without being ashamed and one that is nurse for reasons other than money.

what is the most rewarding part of being a nurse?

when patients, doctors, colleagues, and other appreciate what you bring to the table. and acknowledges that you are an integral part to the interdisciplinary team.

what is the most difficult part about being an emergency room nurse?

working in an environment where "clicks" still occur. working long hours without a break. feeling like you don't want to come back when you get mistreated in the ed. the patient violence against nurses in the ed.

what is your least favorite part of nursing?

lateral violence amongst nurses. having to work weekends and holidays. the ineffectiveness of nurse managers and administration when you go to them with concerns and they say "we'll work on that" and it never gets done.

when was the first time you have witnessed someone die?

the first time i witnessed someone die was my first year in the ed 10 years ago when we received a gunshot victim who came in barely breathing and we worked on him for close to 2 hours b/c he was young (i believe 13 years) and we couldn't save him.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 8, 2009

i'm a new ed nurse so i cannot answer your entire post. however, i worked in med surg long enough to answer two questions.

what are some major differences between emergency room nursing and being a nurse on a med/surg floor?

i want to add to what the others said and point out that medical surgical nurses focus on everything; all aspects of a patient to include family, living situations, and everything else you had to focus on in nursing school! therefore if a patient arrived to the ed with sob and just so happens to have a sore on the big right toe plus is homeless and is no longer able to care for self, the medical surgical nurse works to keep the patient stable (this is just as hard as working in the ed) as well as take care of the sore on the big right toe, while coordinating care with other health professionals to discharge the patient with someone who can legally make decisions for him/her.

also another difference, ed nurses do not spend much time with the same patient. on the ms floors the best way to survive is to work many days in a row and to have the same team of patients give or take a two. you do not want a different group of patients every shift because that will cause problems given the amount of work you must do for one patient vs. your patient load. however, in the ed your patient load (at least for me) is smaller and i do not have the same patients no matter how many days i work in a row or do not work in a row. the positive aspect for me is the fact that it does not hurt my shift because ed nurses focus on the reason the patient was admitted as the others have pointed out. ed nurses make a note of other problems if they are salient but they do not have to spend a few shifts or even much time working with that patient to care for the other problems (an aspect i love about the ed)! i hope this helps.

why emergency room nursing?

i like to focus on emergency situations period. i am not interested in the rest. i worked in social services for many years prior to nursing. i do not care for drama.

dayspringacres · Oct 18, 2009

I know these answers are too late for your paper, but i still want to answer them.

I work in a three bed ER in a small rural facility. I work nights. Most of the time I am alone. Keep this in mind when you read my answers.

The most exciting aspect of being an ER nurse is fixing people. People who come in scared to death that they are going to die, and I can fix their pain. Or, how about that one question that I ask of the patient that nails the definative diagnosis of appendicitis? Or the time I predicted Atelectasis before the patient went into the Radiology and had the chart ready to go and the team ready to be called?
The Provider is the one deciding when a pt is treated and streeted, or admitted to the floor. I can just about predict those admissions based on my knowlege of the disease process, of my working diagnosis, of my providers. Usually, if they cannot be "fixed" in the ER they are admitted, or they become a "drip and ship"
I have frequently been in situations where I wasn't sure what to do. That is the "Oh SH**" moment. So, I say Oh Sh** and then find something to keep moving. Airway. Breathing. Circulation. Vital Signs. By the time I get to that point, I have decided whether it is a crisis or not, and who to call. I pull nurses and aides off the floor to assist me until the code team arrives. The nice thing about ACLS protocol, is it is designed for the single person resuscitator -- for me. It gives me the "recipe" to take me through the blankness of the Oh Sh... moment by concentrating on the ABCs
ER nursing is a focused assessment. A patient comes in with difficulty breathing, I will ask questions primarily of the respiratory function. I will later touch on the other systems, but will focus on the problem area. Sometimes, someone will come in with general complaints, say of my belly hurting. I will ask them to point with one finger where it hurts.
I went to college to become a nurse. I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up until I was 40 years old. My husband chose it for me, and I found out that I REALLY love it.
Why emergency room nursing? I have to say it chose me, I didn't choose it. Again, I work a very small facility, and I have had to learn every aspect of this place, including OB, OR (for crash C-Sections), ER. I love being jack of all trades, master of most.
Other fields of nursing I've though about were as follows: 1. Operating Room -- but the culture is not one I can live with. 2. Long Term Care -- I've done that and I'm just not suited to that, although I am very good at it. 3. Large Facility -- I would have to specialize in one area, and I just don't want to be that limited! My specialty is Rural Nursing, and Night Shift.
The kind of person to be a nurse has to be a self motivator, especially in the ER. Intelligent, but not too smart for her own good; Has to be teachable at all times. Has to be able to assist the provider in making the "correct" orders for the patient (this is part of the assessment as well, you know)
The most rewarding part of being a nurse is when I am able to save someone's life. When I predict a lung collapse and have the people ready to rock and roll when the doctor makes that diagnosis. When I call Respiratory Therapist in to help with a distressed newborn, and the infant is all better by the time the RT gets there, because I did my job, and did it well and quick. When the blue baby is shipped out in time for a good outcome. Also, when I can help family cope with the impending death of their father, or make sure the wife is treated humanely until the time of her death.
The most difficult part of being an ER nurse is never knowing what will come through that door. Or when the parents of the croupy child who is not in distress complain about the poor care they rec'd as they were asked to sit in the lobby because all of the ER beds are full with bloody mess, with cardiacs, with dying infant I'm trying to save, and they can see all this going on and left AMA.
My least favourite part of nursing is dying. Whether the death of an older end-stage COPD, or the stillbirth of an infant, it is never easy.
My first witnessed death was while I was a CNA years before I became a nurse, so I had had experience with death and with providing the patient dignity during the dying phase. I have nightmares. But I still work in the ER, and I will continue to do so. I am a Registered Nurse.

milkbuttereggs · Dec 24, 2010

perfect.... to the tee.

We are awesome...aren't we?!!!

suiteums, MSN, RN · May 19, 2011

Wow petalicious, a respectable amount of very busy ER nurses took time out of their day to help you by writing very detailed responses to your very lengthy survey and and you didn't even bother to acknowledge their effort. Shame on you :no: . To all of those that did contribute, Thank You and your participation was appreciated at least by me! :yelclap: