er nurse

tarotale · Nov 20, 2014

all the posts here are about er, and you can search them on search engine as well. don't be lazy :)

NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN · Nov 20, 2014

Emergency nursing is always go-go-go with every order being a stat order and no matter how many patients you take care of, there are 15+ more waiting. Meds are always due, vital signs every hour or two hours on all patients, everyone needs to pee, and no one seems to be able to walk.

Most patients hate you because they think going to the ER is a quick 30 minute in-and-out doctor's visit or is a hotel where you are the waiter/waitress, but it is an intensive and hours long study of everything that could be wrong in relation to the patient's complaint.

However, when you get the patients and families that really need the help, ER nursing is awesome. It will absolutely make up for all the other stuff.

You will see the most gruesome stuff, you will see the dumbest stuff, you'll go home and cry for the sad stuff. People who aren't really too sick get sent home. Sick people get sent to a med-surg floor. Really sick people get sent to the ICU. A few people will pass away. Some of them have already passed away before the paramedics even bring them in.

Maybe once a year or so a patient will remember you enough to send a thank you card or some chocolate. Usually you are only attacked verbally. Occasionally, patients attack staff physically. Not the usual 90 year old alzheimer's pt who is trying to punch you because you are changing their diaper, but the 31 year old known drug addict who was told they will not be getting morphine. You will know security and local police on a first name basis.

You will have a love/hate relationship with your coworkers. They are your comrades in arms and you will see each other through shared experiences, either good or bad.

It's a high stress environment and you need a very thick skin. There are other areas of nursing that are less stressful. For example, OB and NICU nurses get lots of love from patients and their families though their bad stuff usually involves incredible tragedy. But in my opinion, there is no better place for "adrenaline junkies" than the emergency department.

Hope this helps.

FutureNurseB88 · Nov 20, 2014

Thank you so much. This helped alot. :):)

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 21, 2014

Emergency nursing is always go-go-go with every order being a stat order and no matter how many patients you take care of, there are 15+ more waiting. Meds are always due, vital signs every hour or two hours on all patients, everyone needs to pee, and no one seems to be able to walk.
Most patients hate you because they think going to the ER is a quick 30 minute in-and-out doctor's visit or is a hotel where you are the waiter/waitress, but it is an intensive and hours long study of everything that could be wrong in relation to the patient's complaint.
However, when you get the patients and families that really need the help, ER nursing is awesome. It will absolutely make up for all the other stuff.
You will see the most gruesome stuff, you will see the dumbest stuff, you'll go home and cry for the sad stuff. People who aren't really too sick get sent home. Sick people get sent to a med-surg floor. Really sick people get sent to the ICU. A few people will pass away. Some of them have already passed away before the paramedics even bring them in.
Maybe once a year or so a patient will remember you enough to send a thank you card or some chocolate. Usually you are only attacked verbally. Occasionally, patients attack staff physically. Not the usual 90 year old alzheimer's pt who is trying to punch you because you are changing their diaper, but the 31 year old known drug addict who was told they will not be getting morphine. You will know security and local police on a first name basis.
You will have a love/hate relationship with your coworkers. They are your comrades in arms and you will see each other through shared experiences, either good or bad.
It's a high stress environment and you need a very thick skin. There are other areas of nursing that are less stressful. For example, OB and NICU nurses get lots of love from patients and their families though their bad stuff usually involves incredible tragedy. But in my opinion, there is no better place for "adrenaline junkies" than the emergency department.
Hope this helps.

I love this! Thanks :)

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Nov 21, 2014

We fluff pillows and save lives.

I'm not an adrenaline junkie, I'm an endorphin junkie. Being in the zone is what I love. Moving fast yet having plenty of time to make a decision. Same sensation as skiing a zipper line in the bumps full out