Last semester student ER rotation.

TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP · Dec 13, 2012

Assessment is always something good to review, especially in the ED where you don't have much to go on to base your care decisions off of. Mosby's Guide to Physical Examination has a chapter devoted to Emergent Assessment, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that other assessment textbooks also have similar chapters.

Remember that skills lab you did when you first started your nursing program? Auscultating BPs, placing foleys and NGs, starting IVs? ED nurses put things into people, and you'll be getting lots of practice - so reviewing those skills beforehand might be helpful.

As far as pathophys, I should hope you understand chest pain and stroke - otherwise your school's program has done you a disservice. After Chest Pain, abdominal pain is the biggest grab-bag of possible diagnoses you'll see in the ED, so be familiar with GI and GU issues.

XmasShopperRN, ASN, RN · Dec 14, 2012

Also review care of psych pt's especially if the hospital doesn't have a separate psych ED. (And even if there is a separate psych ED, plenty of M/S pts suffer from mental illness as well). If you're in your final semester of NS, you've probably already done your psych rotation. The pts that you saw on the floor are much different than ED psych pts as in the ED, they're in an acute phase of their of their illness often 2/2 med noncompliance. Remember safety first. Make sure nothing's within reach that could be used as a weapon (stethoscope, pens, name badge, trauma shears, etc). The important assessment ?s (do you want to hurt self/others/hearing anything that tells you to do something?; contract for safety?; etc. There's plenty more, but you get the idea. Good luck!

TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP · Dec 14, 2012

Also re: ED Psych: make sure you have an avenue of escape. Don't let the pt get between you and the door.

Psych pts (and crazy visitors) are the reason that you don't wear your stethoscope around your neck.