Just got an ED RN position, Advice needed PLS!

JKL33 · Jul 24, 2018

What do you mean by that?

It's a pretty decent chunk of what you'll be doing....

Kuriin, BSN, RN · Jul 24, 2018

You hate medicine? As in primary care? Or medical-surgical? Most of your ER patients will be medsurg based, few will be ICU, even fewer will be trauma unless you're in a major trauma center.

The way you make it sound it's as if you shouldn't be in the MEDICAL field in general.

Gem13 · Jul 24, 2018

Firstly, you dont know me. So how can you say I "should be in the MEDICAL field in general". I asked for advice and not negativity. if you have nothing nice to say, carry along.. bye.

Gem13 · Jul 24, 2018

I currently feel like only a med pusher and bottom wiper. I was trying to say I want an area where I will be able to use my critical thinking more.

I just needed advice. If you dont have any, its alright.

Kuriin, BSN, RN · Jul 25, 2018

Anyways. You can read up on Sheehy's Manual, ER nursing bible, critical care pocketbook. Brush up on PALS, ACLS, and NIHSS. Get your TNCC fast.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jul 25, 2018

I currently feel like only a med pusher and bottom wiper. I was trying to say I want an area where I will be able to use my critical thinking more.
I just needed advice. If you dont have any, its alright.

The ED is very protocol-driven and task-oriented; yes, there is critical thinking because patients don't usually arrive with a diagnosis unless they are transferred to you, but it includes its fair share of medication administration and patient clean-up. It really depends on the type of ED (community hospital? Trauma center?) and its patient population (are there seven nursing homes within a one-mile radius?).

What kind of orientation are you getting?

travelRN555 · Jul 25, 2018

Learn to go with the flow, adapt quickly, and constantly reprioritize.

In the ER there is no refusing to take a patient/report from the new EMS that just arrived, and it's not uncommon to get 2-3 new patients land in your rooms at the same time. The ER also has lots of time targets as far as door to EKG, antibiotic administration, cath lab, TPA, etc times. You need to be able to drop whatever non-emergent task you are doing and go settle/stabilize a new arrival, then go back to finish up what you were doing.

JKL33 · Jul 25, 2018

I currently feel like only a med pusher and bottom wiper. I was trying to say I want an area where I will be able to use my critical thinking more.
I just needed advice. If you dont have any, its alright.

Many on this subforum recommend Sheehy's as a very useful manual to have starting out. Add: I see it has been recommended above.

The best preparation is mental, though. Having a good attitude and keeping your cool are more important than studying any material; they are necessary for success and are in no way optional. The ED is a long learning curve. Those who succeed are pleasant, teachable and eager to learn.

Columnist · Jul 26, 2018

Here is a great allnurses article written by Nurse Beth describing the life of an ED nurse.

Are You Cut Out to be an Emergency Department (ED) Nurse?

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jul 26, 2018

Get some thick skin, you are gonna need it.

lkm812 · Jul 26, 2018

First of all, congratulations !!!

I have worked in trauma centre for 10 years then being deployed to work in ED for half year for special training. In this half year of time, I have some feelings on ED

1. fast thinking and rely on your critical thinking in Triage stage, is a challenging position

2. lots of traps, due to all the clients came into ED has no name tag difficult to identify the client and easy to miss the treatment if the client has sent home "accidentally " hahahhaa

3. difficult to follow up the client 's condition after client has admited to ward, somehow, job satisfaction is coming from those client's recovery process :)

4. in observation room, the job is quite boring... haha

5. When you have adapted the environment, you will find another boring thing,... repeated ECG, Blood work, wait for dr assessment, treatment / send to ward... a kind of repetitive work all day

6. As someone stated above, a limited time to treat the client, so follow the protocol strictly seems the only way you can survive in ED :) ... or after awhile, you can make a difference and make another protocol for your fellows to follow >.