good bye ER... maybe

Collor · Mar 2, 2016

I worked in the ED for most of my career..about 10 years or so. Then moved into PRE SURGERY/PACU. I stayed per diem in ED, while I was working in my new department. I felt like it was a nice balance. Now, 6 years later, I do not do any shifts in the ED the long hours were too exhausting. I like my 8 hour shifts...and only 1 patient to care for at a time.

SO my thoughts are...as a younger nurse, ED. Now that I am getting older...no ED!!!!

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Mar 6, 2016

I'm still in the ED but recently took a per diem gig with the critical care float pool. This ICU thing is kinda cool and I may find a new home in one of the units. I don't know, though, because I'm the prototypical ED nurse and the ICUs may be too slow for my liking based on my first few shifts.

Dragonnurse1, ASN, RN · Mar 8, 2016

I guess I am weird because I went to the ER straight from nursing school and stayed until a severe latex allergy took my career from me. I miss it still and this is 13 years later. I loved every minute of it and never thought once about leaving.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 8, 2016

I guess I am weird because I went to the ER straight from nursing school and stayed until a severe latex allergy took my career from me. I miss it still and this is 13 years later. I loved every minute of it and never thought once about leaving.

Nope, not weird at all â€” I work and have worked with nurses who have worked nothing but ER for 20-30+ years. Sorry about your latex allergy.

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2016

Am slowly coming to the conclusion that even me, SuperNurse can't do the ER gig forever. It's not so much the physical aspect in as much as the patience aspect.

I had a 32 yr old come in via EMS yesterday. While squad is dropping her off in my waiting room - because we're slammed full and on divert - I can constantly hear their radios going off. One of the EMTs tells me as they're rushing back out that it is a cardiac arrest in progress but they can't transport because all the ambulances are tied up running bull**** calls. What was the 32 year olds chief complaint? Yeast infection.... AND she had the temerity to complain about going to the waiting room instead of a treatment area! I **** you not!

I'm thinking of going back to school - I am thinking about getting out of healthcare all together (Press-Ganey, JCAHO, HCAPS, Department of Health ... all add to it each passing year). Maybe move down to the shore and open a floating taco bar or something...

twozer0, NP · Mar 13, 2016

Am slowly coming to the conclusion that even me, SuperNurse can't do the ER gig forever. It's not so much the physical aspect in as much as the patience aspect.
I had a 32 yr old come in via EMS yesterday. While squad is dropping her off in my waiting room - because we're slammed full and on divert - I can constantly hear their radios going off. One of the EMTs tells me as they're rushing back out that it is a cardiac arrest in progress but they can't transport because all the ambulances are tied up running bull**** calls. What was the 32 year olds chief complaint? Yeast infection.... AND she had the temerity to complain about going to the waiting room instead of a treatment area! I **** you not!
I'm thinking of going back to school - I am thinking about getting out of healthcare all together (Press-Ganey, JCAHO, HCAPS, Department of Health ... all add to it each passing year). Maybe move down to the shore and open a floating taco bar or something...

You got it right with the taco bar! Healthcare isn't what it used to be, especially in the ER. I did 4 years, loved it but honestly it was plenty. I hated triage. If someone interrupted me I would tell them to go tell everyone else who was waiting that they were more important than them, that would usually keep them quiet for a while. I left the ER and didnt look back, no regrets there. I like taking care of patients so I ended up going to NP school. We'll see how this pays off in the end. I hope 10 years into it I'm not feeling the same way about nursing as I do now. I might have to set up a floating ice cream stand across the street from the taco bar!

rearviewmirror, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2016

Hey op, how is your procedural gig going? As you know I hate patient care as well, but at least at procedurals patients are knocked out sedated haha.

PS: Roy Fokker, I do not blame you, I can give two cents crap what happens to most people that come to ED as most of them come for lame excuses or don't have to be there in the first place, they make up at least 85% of ED, you know the typical CP, abd work up and bye bye after they are all negative and more. I don't mind people who are there for legit reasons, but most of them are not, healthcare is all about money, not about helping others. I hate healthcare.

LibertyTX · Mar 16, 2016

I went from two years of PACU to Endoscopy for a total of 3 months. Hated endo! The only reason I took the position is because I moved to a new city and wanted to stay with my company...that was the only position they had available at the time. In endo, if you are circulating you are in the room labeling polyps and listening to farts and smelling bad bowel preps. If you are in recovery, you are just waiting for your patient to expel all of the air in their colon and then doing discharge teaching. The only part of it that I could tolerate was pre-op because at least I got to keep up my IV skills. Some endo centers use RNs for sedation; mine did not. I've been in ER for a month now and I'm really enjoying it!

ERRNDeans · Mar 18, 2016

I was an ER nurse for 16 years, then I tried school nursing and did ER on the weekends for fun. I am now strictly school RN. The pay is lower, but the stress is also lower. The kids are great, it isn't that exciting, but I am older now, I don't need the excitement.

I couldn't take the bull@@@@ complainers anymore. I echo what the other ER RN said about EMT's needed to get a cardiac arrest but can't get there faster because of dropping off a patient with a yeast infection. Maddening.

The ER has the best doc nurse relationship in the hospital. We depend on each other and there's a mutual respect. I really miss the docs.