New ER Fellow/PCN

[lmpie94]

Hey everyone!

So I am an undergrad student, set to graduate in less than 5 months! I worked as a floor CNA for a year, but just started working in an ED as an Tech/PCN 2 (basically a RN fellow). Being that I am in my final semester, juggling the hardest classes I have taken yet with also being a club officer, I will not be working that much, most likely no more than one shift per week.

Anyway, I really liked the ED. The people were great. But the tasks are so different from floor! (I know, duh). I feel pretty confused as to what my role is. I understand that there are so many tasks, such as answering lights and assisting patients, EKGs, etc....

What is the basic run down of all the tasks that a tech/fellow might have (I understand, depends on each facility), and is there any kind of time order that is followed throughout the shift, i.e. when arriving and clocking in, obtaining vitals on all the patients, etc.

I would appreciate any kind of concise clarity! I know its opposite from floor, but I want to bring my natural ability for organization to this, and use it to my advantage.

Thank you!

[AliNajaCat]

Suggest you consult with the people who are doing the job presently, and see how they organize their days. ER is by its nature not schedule-friendly; you can't try to force a routine into your "natural ability to organize" because it can't be done.

And if you haven't graduated from school or passed NCLEX you aren't "basically an RN fellow." You're a tech, which is, basically, a CNA. If this is a paid job and not part of a school clinical rotation you are not going to be doing anything that would require a license, meaning assessments, care planning, meds, or a lot of other task-y things. I say all this to keep you from inadvertently exceeding your scope of practice, which could get you in really big trouble.

[lmpie94]

Thanks for the advice, I will continue to do that!

I know there are some fellowship programs that are after you graduate, but in some hospital systems you must be in your last year of nursing school to be in their fellowship program. Yes, when I got my hire paperwork, there was a list of tasks and such that are listed as within my scope of practice. I know in the ER there are no CNAs, because CNAs and techs do totally different things.

I appreciate your advice. Do you work in an ER currently? Are you an RN?

[AliNajaCat]

I was once a critical care clin spec with responsibility for ICU/CCU, ER, PACU, and OR.

RN, MN.

[lmpie94]

That's awesome! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment.

So those are all such different areas. How did you adjust and adapt you're organization and time management to each area as you switched from one department to another? Was that an easy transition for you, or did you have to kind of "re-wire" your way of thinking?

[grizun]

sup baby?

[AliNajaCat]

Stop thinking about thinking, LOL. As Crash Davis advised Nuke LaLoosh, "Don't think. It can only hurt the team."

You don't know enough to have entire conceptual frameworks in your head right now. Go in every day with an open mind, learn what you can, and thank the good lord you have so many neurons in your head; you can take your whole life filling them up. When you have a good number of them occupied, they will start talking to each other and you'll see commonalities everywhere you look. The you can start applying things in multiple settings.