Help! I start tomorrow!

Specialties Emergency

Published

I never post anything on here but here ya go.

After a week of classroom orientation, I will be starting tomorrow in the ER. I'm kinda terrified. So if anyone wants to be a well-wisher, please tell a new grad good luck!

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Good Luck, hopefully your ER orientation will be at least 6 weeks, so don't freak out.

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My orientation is 12 weeks! At least I have that going for me.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

So how is it going, a few days in? :)

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I'm in almost 5 months now and just beginning to feel like I can keep my head above water. I used to get very panicked before going to work but now that I'm getting some new skills out of the way; giving blood, iv drips, etc, I'm feeling much more confident. Just remember ask for help if you need it. Everyone goes thru same anxiety.

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Specializes in Emergency.

1) Team work. When you have a minute, find out who's slammed and help them out. Most will help you out when they see you are slammed too. No one can do it alone (despite those that claim they can), so build a good reputation from the beginning and you will have teammates to help you for the rest of your time there.

2) Skills. Everyone starts out struggling with some skills, being slow at some, whatever. It's just the nature of muscle memory tasks and that's what skills are. Don't get down on yourself about it. Just try to get better and grow over time. Don't push yourself too hard over skills they are the least important thing for you to focus on at this point.

3) Assessment. This is what make you an RN, learn it. Watch docs and other RNs do their assessments when you can. Try to guess what is going on with the pt, what is going to be the dx, the orders, etc. If you don't know, ask, research, try to figure out why pt x was dx with y but pt z was dx with a, etc. What do the labs tell you? This will make you apply your knowledge, and grow in your understanding of the medical conditions you are seeing and treating. It will also help you to understand when a pt is critical vs stable.

4) Have fun. This is a wild environment, it will always have aspects that can scare the crap out of you (and should to some extent), so you can either have fun with it, or crumble up and let it get to you. One of the things I try to do to have fun with it is focus on the good you did for at least one pt every shift instead of focusing on how you had to tx the frequent flyer, drug seeker, blah, blah, blah. Even if it's just that I brought the only hot meal that drunk homeless guy is going to have all day to him, I try to focus on the positive, tell myself what I did for someone, how I touched them that day.

Finally, I hope your enjoying it so far. You will have struggles and want to give up at times, and you will walk out feeling like you mastered it some day and then go in and have the worst shift ever the next day. Just remember to take it one day at a time, one pt at a time and try to do your best to touch the ones that will let you help them.

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You'll do great! I've been in the ER for 9 months now as a new grad. It's a new experience every day but at the end of each day I go home saying I love it. You'll be amazed at what you learn after 4-6 months and the experience you will gain! Never be afraid to ask questions. Always be willing to learn from everyone. Teamwork teamwork and more teamwork!

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Hello I have a random question. Do you remember what time of day (morning, afternoon, evening) HR called after your first interview? Also how long was your initial interview with HR?

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@BELLE2013

Hello I have a random question. Do you remember what time of day (morning, afternoon, evening) HR called after your first interview? Also how long was your initial interview with HR?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

Hi dream! Welcome to AllNurses!

It sounds like you are excited about your interview. I hate the waiting too. I don't have any real answers but they can call any time during regular office hours. My hospital was so frustrating. When I first started nursing, I didn't hear for almost 4-5 weeks then got a call for the job offer. Talk about nail-biting!

Good luck! I hope you get it!

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Thank you @nurseonamotorcycle I appreciate it! Yeah I am excited and I hope they call very soon :-)

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Specializes in CCRN.

@Yourdreamnurse, I'm job hunting, too! Good luck to you! :)

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