New ER nurse

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I have been a nurse for 4 years, 3 years as a med surg nurse and a year in psych. I an mow in the ER and scared to death about the learning curve. Any advice on magazines to read, web sites to visit? Anything please help.

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Specializes in Emergency, Internal Medicine, Sports Med.

If you haven't got it already, get your TNCC. It's a very summarized version of the emergency assessment framework that you learn when you do your ER specialty.

Instead of reading magazines & websites, I would suggest educating yourself more with courses. Otherwise, it's just experience. Try to get as many shadow orientation shifts (if you can).

If you're dying to read anything, I would recommend researching/reviewing specific conditions (DKA, Sepsis, Pneumothorax's, CHF exacerbation management, COPD management, MI, GI bleeds....)... focusing more on assessment/interventions in the acute stage if you're already familiar with the patho.

Welcome to chaos :)

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Specializes in Med/Surg - Internal Medicine.

Do you ever use Lippincott's Nursing Center website (http://www.nursingcenter.com)?? They are free to register with and have an array of email lists you can receive for different nursing subjects and areas of specialty.

Some of the journals do require you to pay for them, but they also have a section where you can review past journals for free.

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Thanks that's great advice I am taking the TNCC course before I am done orienting the hard part is it is a very rural hospital so I will be the only rn on sshift when I am done so that is really scary

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Specializes in ER.

Google ICU FAQs and read up on that website....great stuff! Applies to the critical and non-critical patients alike in the ED.

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Specializes in Extreme generalist.

I also work in a very rural hospital (on an island). I work the ER and acute end, with an LPN and CNA on the LTC side; the three of us share duties back and forth. Sometimes boring, sometimes very exciting.

I agree about getting your TNCC right away. I also got a copy of Emergency Nursing Made Incredibly Easy when I was new, and found it very useful in role playing various situations in my mind, especially since there are many situations we rarely see but need to be prepared for.

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Specializes in 2.
If you haven't got it already, get your TNCC. It's a very summarized version of the emergency assessment framework that you learn when you do your ER specialty.

Instead of reading magazines & websites, I would suggest educating yourself more with courses. Otherwise, it's just experience. Try to get as many shadow orientation shifts (if you can).

If you're dying to read anything, I would recommend researching/reviewing specific conditions (DKA, Sepsis, Pneumothorax's, CHF exacerbation management, COPD management, MI, GI bleeds....)... focusing more on assessment/interventions in the acute stage if you're already familiar with the patho.

Welcome to chaos :)

How do I become a ED nurse after having 2.5 almost 3 years of being a med/surg nurse?

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