Job Shadowing the ED

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

So last night I shadowed in the emergency dept on the overnight shift. I come from a med-surg floor and tried to tell myself I could keep up.

NOT!

I helped where I could and stayed out of the way when I couldn't. The acute rooms were full and the non-acute rooms were even more full! I don't know their computer system, I was called names (good and bad), and even "helped out" on a code though I mostly just observed since I didn't know the unit enough to find anything in a useful amount of time.

I went home feeling like I was the dumbest, most useless nurse alive...

...where do I sign up? ;)

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.

You'll get the hang of it if thats what you really want to do. I came from 2 years of tele/MS and caught up pretty well. Good luck! :D The fact that you werent scared away is good.

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Gotta love a challenge!! Anyone would have felt that way in that particular situation...but it is sure those times when you feel incompetent, that make you determined to get through it and do better next time:lol2:!!!

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Specializes in IR, Cardiac Tele,Burns, Peds Trauma & ER.

For the ER, you either have it or you don't. You hung in there for the duration. Bravo. I have been a Tech in the ER for about 12 years too long. Its fun and challenging, yet I am the one who is supposed to be doing the running around for you to get stuff, there should be enough of us to rotate on compressions and set up necessary equipment.

I am finally in the application for Nursing school and I don't see myself doing anything BUT ER nursing, but am already being recruited by our Burn/Peds Trauma ICU... oi. I am contemplating this because of the desire to do flight nursing...

Anyways, good luck with it... ER staff is fun once the ice is broken and you can prove you can hold your own.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Welcome to the dark side. We usually have cookies. :smokin:

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Just accepted a job in the ER and Im coming from a medical floor. I cant freaking wait.....I love cookies

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Specializes in ED.
Welcome to the dark side. We usually have cookies. :smokin:

And coffee at night. :up:

Come play. We are lots of fun...but you have to be able to take a joke. Too much serious stuff going on to be serious all of the time.

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

Welcome to our madness:lol2: no doubt, ED is a super place to work and learn first hand, especially if you're a beginner or a student. Let me enlighten you, when you work at ED it's almost like a dance sequence that everyone knows the rhythm. For example, let's say EMT places a call to ED they are transporting a cardiac pt. with severe chest pain, the dance begins way before the pt. arrives, you'll noticed nurses getting IV lines, lab tubes, and electrodes ready to be attach etc. once the pt. arrives, if you're working with the case you don't wait for the nurse or doctor that is drawing labs. to finish, you connect the pt. immediately to the monitor even if you have to climb over a multitude of staff, and get a strip of the cardiac rhythm of the pt. Trust me after you get into the rhythm of things, you're adrenaline will kick in, plus don't take anyone seriously or personal just watch and learn the rhythm . Wishing you the very best in all of you're future endeavors...Aloha~

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

Oh goodness. They just offered me the job.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Congratulations on the job offer and Congrats to That Guy on the new job ;)

We have more then cookies in our ER. It appears we are the food dumping ground. So hard to lose weight when we are bombarded constantly with FOOD. We are always given so much stuff from everyone.

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