Hoping to transition well to ER

[RachelLeeRN]

Hi everyone. I'm a fairly new nurse ( passed my boards in June of this year 2007 ) And I've got about 6 months of PCU nursing under my belt so far. The thing is.... I HATE my job. I dont enjoy going, I dont really enjoy the people. To "clicky". I have always wanted to do ER, but there were no new grad openings at time of graduation for me, so I settled for whatever I could do. Big mistake. So I applied at a local hospital for an ER position, was interviewed, and hired. I will continue to work both jobs because I signed a contract with the pcu one ( dummy )

Any who, they agreed to give me 12-16 weeks of training, and Im very excited about that, but im so nervous. Er and floor nursing are different.

Any one have any advice for my first day tomorrow?

I guess im more worried that I will let people down or something.

Just a little worried and stressed. And probably wont sleep tonight. Got that whole new nurse jitters all over, DARN IT!!

Thanks guys!

[CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN]

Welcome to Allnurses!

I have floated to ER...and those that work there liked me ;-)

I would suggest to bring a notebook and take notes or xerox protocols...this comes in handy later when you're on your own...you probably know this one already!

Good Luck!

[mianders, RN]

The EC is usually faster paced than the PCU, and you never know whats going to walk in the door. Time management is very important. You will either love it or hate it. Good luck!

[olddog1]

welcome to ed nursing! I'll share some things I've noticed in less successful new ed nurses:

1. Be an active member of the team and try to see and do as much as possible in your orientation period. If not, you'll be surprised how fast that time flies and you'll end up frustrated (as will your co-workers).

2. Remember that ed nurses are type A personalities out of neccesity; try not to be too sensitive to any perceived negative comments and learn from the constructive ones.

3. You already did the hard part-you became a nurse! You know how to take care of people. The skills are learned tasks and will become second nature with time so don't sweat them.

4. Take ACLS, PALS, ENPC, TNCC as soon as you can; they'll make you more comfortable with the populations you'll see.

5.Bring food! God knows, you rarely get a chance to eat during your shift and nurses LOVE to eat.

6. Learn from the whole team. The techs, secretaries, CNA's who have been there a while are a great resource.

7. Have fun, cuz if you can't have fun then what's the point?

Hope this helps some and good luck!