Me (student) + ER

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Specializes in Mursing.

Anyone ever work as a student in the ER and feel absolutely inept, stupid, and incompetent? I sure do!

To all you nurses out there, what do I, as a student, need to do to become successful? I can only review the common diseases so much but there's so much variety that walks through the door. Thanks!:no::bluecry1:

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Anyone ever work as a student in the ER and feel absolutely inept, stupid, and incompetent? I sure do!

To all you nurses out there, what do I, as a student, need to do to become successful? I can only review the common diseases so much but there's so much variety that walks through the door. Thanks!:no::bluecry1:

Hmmmm shoulda changed the question to be do you feel that way as a student any where you work? Answer: heck yes. You're growing, learning, developing skills and knowledge. It's going to be that way. And when you are a new nurse, you'll still feel that way for a while. It takes time to grow and become competent. Just hang in there and learn all you can while there. Doing an ER rotation, really any rotation, is a great learning opportunity. Just do your best sponge imitation and "soak up" all you can!:D

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

You do not need to know every single disease but what you do need to know is how to assess a patient and you will need to know what is normal and abnormal. You will need to know that for patients across the life span in an ED setting.

I would focus in on that b/c if as a student you can identify what is abnormal you always have others there to report that too.

I would not only review the major diseases I would also study what nursing actions you are going to take based upon that assessment.

It is OK not to know everything ...that is why you are called a student...it sounds like you are not wasting the experience and remember each experience builds upon the next and one day after a lot of work you will say to yourself (when you least expect it ) I AM A NURSE and you will feel it and believe it. GOOD Luck with your studies

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Was just there myself! Someone asked me today what I learned about myself last week during my clinical rotation in the ED and my response was "That I am not as smart as I think I am!" Really...it is overwhelming and difficult to prepare for an ED rotation. But WOW did I learn a lot.

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