ER bashing...where is the love??

RN34TX · Nov 20, 2005

I can sympathize because when I work PACU, the hatred from the floors is quite obvious when bringing a patient up to them or trying to call report, just like you poor ER folks.

But...speaking from my old Med/Surg days, I'll give you one small suggestion to help clean up ER's image to the floors:

Please stop telling your patients that they can eat and get a bath "as soon as you get to the floor" just to shut them up because they really think that we can feed and bathe them upon immediate arrival to the floor when you tell them that!

And yes, rushing patients up to the floor at change of shift is another kick in the gut to the floor nurse.

tramalady45 · Nov 20, 2005

I was just wondering if any one else noticed how it is not only acceptable... but "the norm" for people to berate the ER. The sad part is, it is done by fellow nurses and on this message board quite commonly. It's always the same scenario.... someone starts a thread questioning an ER visit that they or a friend or a family member experienced...and then the thread is bombarded with everyone elses' (mostly negative) experience. I thought this message board and at least the nurses who use it were supposed to be an advocate of nursing. I can't believe some of the things that are said. In general, previous threads have conveyed that ER nurses goof off, have bad attitudes, and are uncaring. If the same were said on a regular occurance about nurses in general... then those posters would be crucified. Not only is it OK to do so but most jump on the bashing bandwagon.
Personally, I think it is simply a matter of ignorance. And I do not mean that term as an insult. (ig'.na.rant)a.uninstructed;uninformed;unlearned-Webster

I AGREE!!! I love my job, I would not work in any other department if I had the choice. I am tired of nurses in other units assuming that we ER nurses "rush the patients to the floor right at shift change". It is shift change for us too and no one makes the patients wait in the parking lot until we get our bearings just because it is shift change. We do not do it on purpose!! The ohter night at 6:15 three of four of my patients finally got beds (one had been there 3 days!!) and I am required to get them up to those assigned beds period, no matter the time. We do not like dumping all our patients either right before shift change because guess what? They just turn around and fill us back up despite the shift change thing. I had an ICU nurse actually refuse to take report on a patient at 6 because that was to close to shift change for her ( an hour away)! Hello! She only had one other patient! I would never belittle another nurse or refuse care based on what time of day it is, it gets tiring for us in the ER to never hear anything but negativity from everyone else. A nurse's job is difficult enough without making your peers feel bad about what they do. We are part of a healthcare team and should act accordingly to provide the greatest continuity of care for the sake of the patients. Period. Let's all try to be more positive and help each other out to make our job easier, let's not fight each other for goodness sakes!!

Happy-ER-RN, RN · Nov 21, 2005

I have a problem with being insulted EVERY time I call report to an ICU. There is always some snide remark about something I did or didn't do or something the Dr. did or didn't do. I had a cardiac pt. who was crashing and we finally got her stabalized--I ran to call report so I could go help with the traumas rolling in the door. At the end of my report the nurse asked if she had a foley--i said nope--she said--"you have given her 3 L of fluid and she doesn't have a foley!" Sorry, I was busy pushing fluids in as fast I could when her pressure dropped to 70/30 and mixing and pushing cardiac drugs as fast as I could while one of my other pts. was possibly infarcting in the next room and I couldn't get a another nurse much less a Dr. to come help me, no, a foley was not at the top of my priorities, if I can't get past the C in ABC I don't give a rats @## about elimination unless I have happen to have extra hands.

I just think we all need to stop trying to find fault in others all the time. We all do it from time to time and it's such a waste of energy. It's enough to have to deal with pts and family members who are sick scared and angry and then on top of it we try to tear each other down as well.

misschelei · Nov 21, 2005

I agree with Tweety. Just because someone comes on and vents about an experience they had in the ER doesn't automatically mean they are bashing all ER nurses in the universe. I see this happen all the time around here. Mountains out of mole hills.

The other day I had a patient come up from the ER. He was a complete DNR with the bright orange signed sheet and everything but the NH still sent him over because he was lethargic. Then the ER sent him up to ICU on a Levophed drip. Were we irritated? You bet! But we didn't sit around saying all LTC and ER nurses are stupid.

This is a tough group of people to break in with here at Allnurses. Very few people get along with everyone. We have all taken a beating around here. Being an agency nurse I swear some people won't even respond to me but there are plenty of supportive threads and wonderful people and resources. I like to focus on that.

CEN35 · Nov 21, 2005

I find it intersting that someone else has actually noticed this issue. As a former ER nurse, We received all types of bashing from the floors and units. It happens that some say it openly, either not knowing, or knowing an ER person is there.

But I think you are right on, mostly ignorance.

I will say, one person bashed us up and down all the time. A tele nurse, who 3 years later came to the er looking to get a job there. No job for her though. I don't think the staff would have been very accepting of her.

Most have no idea what its like.

The floor nurses in general thought when we were on diversion, it meant the hospital is full, and we were sitting around wathcing tv, eating having a party while we wait to re-open. That thought clearly verifies and clarifies ignorance is to blame.

Nice thread though!

Have a nice day!:)

CEN35 · Nov 21, 2005

I find it intersting that someone else has actually noticed this issue. As a former ER nurse, We received all types of bashing from the floors and units. It happens that some say it openly, either not knowing, or knowing an ER person is there.

But I think you are right on, mostly ignorance.

I will say, one person bashed us up and down all the time. A tele nurse, who 3 years later came to the er looking to get a job there. No job for her though. I don't think the staff would have been very accepting of her.

Most have no idea what its like.

The floor nurses in general thought when we were on diversion, it meant the hospital is full, and we were sitting around wathcing tv, eating having a party while we wait to re-open. That thought clearly verifies and clarifies ignorance is to blame.

Nice thread though!

Have a nice day!:)

P.S. -one last note, coming out of school into the ER. My instructors told me, ER nursing is not REAL nursing.

Tanker · Nov 21, 2005

"Can't we all just get along?" I am new to nursing and really enjoy the work. New grad to the ER. In my short experience I have found the Floor and ICU nurses to be varied. Most are great and if you just talk to them bumps are smoothed out. Then there are some who want every little detail and history that you just didn't have time to get. These are, fortunately, infrequent. There are all kinds in all areas of nursing. We're all human, I think.:wink2:

I know my 12 hour shift is full. Never stop until I clock out. Policy says a 15 minute break every 6 hours. Right, haven't had 1 yet. We do get our 30 minute meal tho! As fast as you get a pt out another one comes in. In my group that started in the ER about half have moved on to ICU or another area. The pace just wasn't for them. And I think that is good to know your limitations and utilize your skills in an area that you can thrive and do well. Part of our orientation is to do a couple shifts in the ICU. After having been in the ER for a few months it was hard to sit around waiting for that next med. Before I get bashed, I know there are times when the ICU can be VERY busy with 2 pts as well. But if you have 1-2 fairly "stable" pts there can be some down time. I did an externship in a PICU and there were days when I was runnning with 2 and some nights when I just baby-sat. I prefer the running although it would be nice sometimes to be able to look up diseases/conditions that some of my pts have to educate myself but another IV, labs, foley, meds to do...

We instituted a new trial policy with a cease-fire from 7-7:30. We don't call or send during that time. Seems to work pretty well.

kris19620 · Nov 21, 2005

I also am an ER nurse. Its nice to hear we are not the only ER that gets attitude from the floors. i guess its an across the board thing. What I dont get is why the floor takes it personal when they are getting berated with admits. If they are busy its because we are busy. Its not a personal vendeta. When the floor is full they are full. The ER doesnt close because we are full. Cant we all just get aong?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 21, 2005

I don't really think that I had pre-conceived notions. But I guess that I did have an expectation that a site named "all nurses" might....well...you know...advocate nursing a bit. ............Guess I'll just go back to the ER where I can stay on the phone with my boyfriend, read magazines, ridicule pts in pain, make patients wait for an eternity, laugh and make fun of people, and then wrap it all up by 7P so I can send that patient up to ya..~pokin' you in the ribs~:)

There are people around that are so stressed with things in their hospital that it's hard to advocate for another department that might be causing them problems.

I agree, I think we should be more supportive and understanding of each other.

Not only the ER vs. Floor battle, but there is also the student vs. nasty mean floor nurses who hate students. New grad nurses vs. nurses who eat their young. smokers vs. nonsmokers, the heatlh advocate vs. the obese nurse, the saintly nurse vs. the catty backstabbing nurse, on and on and on there is a lack of understanding and support on this site, thankfully a small part when you look at the number of neutral and positive posts vs. the number of negative ones.

That's just human nature I suppose. But I also see so much support going on. Come here and vent about a terrible day and how bad you might be feeling and watch the number of supportive posts you get.

I'm glad that you've kept your sense of humor about it all. But I can't take report right now it's shift change, I'm busy, I'm on break, wait until I assess my other patients first. :rotfl:

HappyJaxRN · Nov 21, 2005

I was just wondering if any one else noticed how it is not only acceptable... but "the norm" for people to berate the ER. The sad part is, it is done by fellow nurses and on this message board quite commonly. It's always the same scenario.... someone starts a thread questioning an ER visit that they or a friend or a family member experienced...and then the thread is bombarded with everyone elses' (mostly negative) experience. I thought this message board and at least the nurses who use it were supposed to be an advocate of nursing. I can't believe some of the things that are said. In general, previous threads have conveyed that ER nurses goof off, have bad attitudes, and are uncaring. If the same were said on a regular occurance about nurses in general... then those posters would be crucified. Not only is it OK to do so but most jump on the bashing bandwagon.
Personally, I think it is simply a matter of ignorance. And I do not mean that term as an insult. (ig'.na.rant)a.uninstructed;uninformed;unlearned-Webster

I did see that, the bashing...this is my take on it...if we didn't have ER nurses, this world would definitely be screwed! My hat (if I wore one) off the all the ER nurses. I think nurses bash each other anywhere. Too bad the ER nurses have to be singled out. :sofahider

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2005

All these years Ive never felt singled or bashed, maybe its because Im always on the golf course.

Victoriakem · Dec 1, 2005

Why can't we be friends, why can't we be friends.....

ED RN, formally a Med/Surg RN