Newly Hired ER Tech - Tips for success from nursing staff

carachel2 · Apr 13, 2006

Well, I'm pretty new in the ER so I don't have much to say but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE when a nurse asks you to draw some blood, get an EKG or get the lady in #8 up to the bedside commode....please understand we are not asking you to do it because we don't *want* to do it. The overwhelming majority of us are asking you to do it because we need to start a nitro drip in one room, assess the new respiratory distress patient in another room and start a line and fluids on the abdominal pain in the other room. You are such a huge part of our *team* and we are so thankful you are there to do what can be delegated so we can do our thing too. Sometimes I feel like I should wear a big sign that says "I am not asking you to do this because I am lazy !"

I've had one tech give me the once over because I asked her to draw some labs while I was sitting down at the nurses station. I could clearly see she was thinking I was sitting on my lazy butt. I was actually completing a code sheet on a cardiac arrest patient...but she thought I was just bumming around.:angryfire

Welcome to the ER.:balloons:

mistyz23 · Apr 13, 2006

Well, I'm pretty new in the ER so I don't have much to say but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE when a nurse asks you to draw some blood, get an EKG or get the lady in #8 up to the bedside commode....please understand we are not asking you to do it because we don't *want* to do it. The overwhelming majority of us are asking you to do it because we need to start a nitro drip in one room, assess the new respiratory distress patient in another room and start a line and fluids on the abdominal pain in the other room. You are such a huge part of our *team* and we are so thankful you are there to do what can be delegated so we can do our thing too. Sometimes I feel like I should wear a big sign that says "I am not asking you to do this because I am lazy !"
I've had one tech give me the once over because I asked her to draw some labs while I was sitting down at the nurses station. I could clearly see she was thinking I was sitting on my lazy butt. I was actually completing a code sheet on a cardiac arrest patient...but she thought I was just bumming around.:angryfire
Welcome to the ER.:balloons:

I guess I'm very fortunate to have worked in an environment where my nurses loved me and I loved my nurses! There were a few nurses that I truly did feel were abusing their seniority though (because they were watching movies or playing video games). Luckily I'm not jaded. Thank you for the advice and I will keep it in mind over the months to come. Thanks!

JessicRN · Apr 13, 2006

Been in the ED a long time. My suggestion is not to panic when there is only one ER tech and 6 nurses you get alot of requests. Do not be afraid to say "I am doing something else. Too many times I have seen a tech drop a urine that needs to have a HCG to do an EKG, "do the first request do not drop one for another. That urine dip may seem mundane but without it a pt can not get medication or go to xray. Say I am doing an EKG now I will do it after? You cannot do 5 things at once and should not have to. We RN's learn get in line if it is not an emergency otherwise do it yourself. Do not do not pick favorite nurses. Treat all nurses the same. You will have nurses who feel tech work is beneath them and wait while other nurses feel you are just another part of the team and help you out if they can IE make a bed, clean up a pt. Do a urine HCG etc. Let the charge nurse know where ever you go when the unit is not busy and there is down time. (rare I know but it happens). There will be days when you want to quit, just brush them off. The great thing about ED's is rarely you have the same pt 2 days in a row.(except the "overserved").I call it organized chaos. Welcome to the ED.

andhow5, BSN, RN · Apr 14, 2006

Welcome and congratulations!

You've received good advice! I certainly agree with telling the nurses that you are busy at the moment but will get to their request when you can. You won't hurt our feelings at all.

I also agree with trying not to pick "favorite" nurses. As easy as it sounds, it is a hard thing to NOT do. Yes, there will be a few that will try to take advantage and abuse the privilege of having a tech, but there will also be MANY that stop and say, "Thank you for all your help, I really appreciate it."

You know your own strengths and trust your instincts, so if your instincts are screaming something isn't right - tell your nurse and ask what they think about the way you feel.

I teched in ED before nursing in ED. And once I had a patient with "abdominal" and "chest" pain. I just KNEW something was wrong. The nurse started a cardiac workup. I kept telling her that there was something off, that I thought she might have an AAA.

This nurse was one of the few that chose NOT to listen. In fact, I heard, "You're JUST a tech and don't realize I have to address the chest pain... etc, etc..." I understood the need to address the cardiac issue, truly - but she just didn't "feel" or "look" right, to me.

She had every right to feel that way, but I made myself known. To anyone that would listen. She kept shooting me down.

I was so bothered by this patient that I went to the doctor and told him how I felt and WHY I felt so strongly about it. Even though he also was leaning toward cardiac issues, he trusted my instinct and CT scanned the patient despite the obvious.

Long story short, the patient was CT scanned, diagnosed with a leaking AAA, brought back to ER, ruptured, and died.

So trust your instincts and be an advocate for your patients. The majority of nurses value what their techs have to say and how they feel, for without techs, the patients AND nurses lose.

Good luck!

nursejennie76 · Apr 15, 2006

Just be as helpfull as you can!!! And please remember if the nurse is sitting at the desk when she asks for help it is because she is charting, and that is not a task she can delegate to someone else!!! I love the techs I work with and always try to thank them for there help, if not for them i would not be able to get my job done!!

student4ever · Apr 15, 2006

Good advice so far from everyone! I am an ED tech, and I LOVE it! I'm always getting requests from nurses, sometimes 5 or 6 at a time. If I'm busy with something I will let them know and then let them know I will get to their request as soon as possible. I will also let them know what other tasks I have to do, and they can take it up with the other nurses if their request is more urgent than others. For example, there are many things that techs do that nurses are not trained to do, like urine drug screens. So, when nurse A has a pt. needing an EKG and nurse B has a pt. needing a foley, and nurse C has a pt. needing a urine drug screen for worker's comp and is about to burst their bladder, I will go to nurse A and B and tell them I will be glad to do their EKG and foleys, but nurse C needs a urine drug screen, and the pt. is hopping up and down in the hallway needing to pee for me! Usually they will say it's okay, I can do the EKG and foley myself... however, if they are too busy to get to it, and I've finished with the other task, I will come back to make sure it's been done, and if they haven't gotten to it, I will go ahead and do it. Basically, just get to know your nurses and let them know that you want to work hard for them, and they will respect you for that. When I'm caught up and have nothing popping out at me to do right then, I make sure I look at the charts, see what still needs to be done, and see if I can't take a couple minutes to coax the old guy to pee, though he's said for the last three hours he cant. It's all a game of balancing and prioritizing, but if you show you'll work hard and don't mind doing whatever needs to be done, you will be appreciated! Good luck to you!