Personality traits suited for ER??

cursenurse · Sep 28, 2004

as far as a personality that works well in the er, you must have a good sense of humor(the more morbid the better), you need to be able to think fast and be able to handle very stressful situations well. you need to be emotionally stable to keep caring for pt's even after you've dealt with a very bad case or had a poor outcome with another pt.you need to be able to get along with people from alot of different cultures and backgrounds. you have to be very thickskinned, because you often see people at their absolute worst and they often blame the nurse for everything. you need to love the chaos and the adrenaline, and be able to work well in a group/team setting.

PennyLane, RN · Sep 28, 2004

I'm kind of in the same quandary myself. I work in an ICU as a tech/student nurse, but have started my senior practicum in an ED. I like the fast pace of the ED, and I think I'll eventually end up in a trauma center or high volume ED, but I think I'll start off in the ICU after I graduate. I hope to build up my assessment skills and clinical skills a bit before jumping into a busy ED.

Although my preceptor started off as a new grad in the ED and has really loved it and been successful there. I think I'll get a couple of years of ICU under my belt before switching.

Why not call around to different hospitals and ask to do a share day in their ER?

Altra, BSN, RN · Sep 29, 2004

as far as a personality that works well in the er, you must have a good sense of humor(the more morbid the better), you need to be able to think fast and be able to handle very stressful situations well. you need to be emotionally stable to keep caring for pt's even after you've dealt with a very bad case or had a poor outcome with another pt.you need to be able to get along with people from alot of different cultures and backgrounds. you have to be very thickskinned, because you often see people at their absolute worst and they often blame the nurse for everything. you need to love the chaos and the adrenaline, and be able to work well in a group/team setting.

as a nursing student who has been an er tech for exactly 21 days, i absolutely agree with this post. i haven't been in the icu yet so i can't compare the two - my critical care class isn't until next semester - but in the ed it's definitely organized chaos much of the time.

however, despite feeling stupid much of the time so far, i'm loving almost every minute of this job. with the proper experience and orientation, i feel i could thrive there as a nurse. i'm already in a crash course in "the real world vs. the nursing school way", and i look at assessment and history taking differently now.

jewelcutt · Sep 29, 2004

I have worked in both ER and SICU and both are complicated but very rewarding jobs. There are slow times, stressful times, codes, etc in both. I personally think that you either like one or the other. In the ER I just didn't like taking care of multiple patients because I like to be able to focus all my attention on a single patient and fix (or try to) everything. I loved recovering open hearts on 8 drips with invasive monitors and vents. I could take that person from practically dead to alive and moving out the next day. Some ICU's can be slower at times, but our never was. I don't know exactly what an ER personality is, it's kinda funny someone said that, because you have to be able to think fast and critically in both ER and ICU. It was sad a lot, joyful though also, and very rewarding helping families and patients through the roughest time in their lives. You may think about becoming a flight nurse if you love paramedics and ER nursing. Trauma nursing is great also. And if you want to move on that is what's so great about nursing, many opportunities. I'm currently in anesthesia school and I love it, I've never learned so much and didn't think I ever could. Don't worry about where to start, you should spend some more time getting to know the ER and ICU aside from nursing school. Good luck.

rollingstone · Sep 29, 2004

Variety is one of the best things about this business. If you want lots of excitment then choose a level 1 trauma center and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Or try ICU. Or work staff ED and do agency ICU. The possibilities are yours to explore. People say lots of things and some will tell you what you should do. It's OK to seek the counsel of others, but in the end you have to decide for yourself. Good luck, I'm sure you'll do fine.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Sep 29, 2004

wish I knew the answer, but I can tell you a specific personality does exist if you want to be content in that, or any unit. I am doing my thesis on the relationship of a nurses' personality type to the nurses' choice of nursing unit types (ED, maternal-child, etc). Cannot find anything in literature to support it, but I believe it exists. Also believe knowing where you "fit" would help you settle in faster and be more effective. Do you all agree or am I "pie in the sky"?

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Sep 29, 2004

HUMMMMM, I have been a nurse 31 years. Most of it has been ER. I think my most dominant personality trait (and my family would be the first to agree), is impatience. I hate to wait. I open 3 browsers and free cell when I am on the computer so I never have to wait for something to read or do. I hate to wait at red lights. I hate to wait for the copier at work to print discharge instructions. I do bills, clean up, fold clothes or something while watching TV. I was the original multi-tasker. I hate to wait for the doctor to "give orders" at work when I know what needs to be done.

I think that is what I like about the ER. You can see a patient from start to finish, make them better and send them home. My favorite patients are anaphalactic reactions, asthma attacks or CHF, MI's with acute changes. These are the folks are present with an acute, life threatening event that you have a direct effect on, can "fix" it, and you the patient and the family feel good about it. It is why I do what I do. Unfortunately, that is only a small percentage of what we see. We also have lots of clinic stuff. Those can be rewarding as well, getting a fever down and reassuring a new mother with a febrile kid can be a great experience in teaching. Helping a kid relax who needs sutures or who has a fracture is a good feeling. It is great when you get a big thank you or a hug from getting a really hard stick IV on the first try. Helping the little old lady with the fractured hip get comfortable is a feel good. Giving an injection and having someone say, "that wasn't as bad as I expected", makes me feel good about what I do. There are lots of things that make this job worth doing. I don't however have any patience or compasssion for overdoses, drug seekers, drunks, street drug users, and just plain whiners. Yes, I know the bleeding hearts will say I am heartless and should treat them all the same. Well, I'm just not that good. Only Christ himself could love some of these people!

I love my job when I can do what I do best. I hate my job when I am inundated with paperwork, people who don't want to help themselves, and managers who don't have a clue as to real life. I have seen many, many changes in nursing in my years, not all of them good. Good luck in choosing where you want to be. Remember you are not locked into anything. There are lots of different avenues to take. Not all of them are for everyone.

tridil2000, MSN, RN · Sep 29, 2004

HUMMMMM, I have been a nurse 31 years. Most of it has been ER. I think my most dominant personality trait (and my family would be the first to agree), is impatience. I hate to wait. I open 3 browsers and free cell when I am on the computer so I never have to wait for something to read or do. I hate to wait at red lights. I hate to wait for the copier at work to print discharge instructions. I do bills, clean up, fold clothes or something while watching TV. I was the original multi-tasker. I hate to wait for the doctor to "give orders" at work when I know what needs to be done.
I think that is what I like about the ER. You can see a patient from start to finish, make them better and send them home. My favorite patients are anaphalactic reactions, asthma attacks or CHF, MI's with acute changes. These are the folks are present with an acute, life threatening event that you have a direct effect on, can "fix" it, and you the patient and the family feel good about it. It is why I do what I do. Unfortunately, that is only a small percentage of what we see. We also have lots of clinic stuff. Those can be rewarding as well, getting a fever down and reassuring a new mother with a febrile kid can be a great experience in teaching. Helping a kid relax who needs sutures or who has a fracture is a good feeling. It is great when you get a big thank you or a hug from getting a really hard stick IV on the first try. Helping the little old lady with the fractured hip get comfortable is a feel good. Giving an injection and having someone say, "that wasn't as bad as I expected", makes me feel good about what I do. There are lots of things that make this job worth doing. I don't however have any patience or compasssion for overdoses, drug seekers, drunks, street drug users, and just plain whiners. Yes, I know the bleeding hearts will say I am heartless and should treat them all the same. Well, I'm just not that good. Only Christ himself could love some of these people!
I love my job when I can do what I do best. I hate my job when I am inundated with paperwork, people who don't want to help themselves, and managers who don't have a clue as to real life. I have seen many, many changes in nursing in my years, not all of them good. Good luck in choosing where you want to be. Remember you are not locked into anything. There are lots of different avenues to take. Not all of them are for everyone.

i have to agree a lot with this post. i have been doing both er and icu/ccu for 17 years and love both for different reasons.

the er gives you that immediate gratification... an intervention you do, gives you an instant result. in the icu, sometimes, postop, you have to help patients through weening off the vent and watching for things like sepsis etc. a lot more observing and waiting there imo.

there is a lot more teamwork involved in the er. you need to be able to communicate quickly and well with those around you, without getting all caught up in some people's power trips. in icu, you can go an entire shift and never need the resident, or even consult with your charge nurse.

in the er, you rarely sit. as soon as one patient is stable, another one is at the door. additionally, you have to have a bigger spectrum of knowledge. you get the placenta previas, stds, otitis, mvas, mis, gi bleeders, tb, head injuries, kids with menningitis, depressed and suicidal people, gunshots, broken bones and overdoses. plus.... you get all ages! in contrat to the icu, the unit is usually surgical or post op cabg etc, and your expertise is narrowed down to what is most frequently seen there. plus, it's either adults OR kids.

both er and icu are excellent places to work. they will both provide you with exeptional experiences that you can take anywhere.

the only recommendation i can say is that the er does require you to be more flexable, and that you handle change and constant excitement and you can prioritize well. if not knowing what's coming and starting from scratch is for you, then the er is for you. now imo, the icu is a little less 'chaotic' and at least the rec. room has all the lines in for you, and calls you with a nice report.

needsmore$ · Oct 1, 2004

you must be able to function and tolerate nonstop chaos! being anal helps, and you must have great people skills because you are dealing with the front line. you have a person who has something bothering them, they are stressed out-having to wait for physicians, tests to be done, an open bed in the ed. they all come w/ family/friends, neighbors who are stressed out as well- and an administration that wants you to get high press ganey results in customer service. ed nursing requires stamina, large bladder capacity, ability to change from 1 focus to another within seconds, and the ability to smile and be polite while being yelled at. iw ouldn't want to do anything else.

anne :)

ijustloveit · Oct 23, 2004

Best thing I've read all night, you put into words exactly why I'm working so hard to upgrade and work permanently in ED. Thankyou

HUMMMMM, I have been a nurse 31 years. Most of it has been ER. I think my most dominant personality trait (and my family would be the first to agree), is impatience. I hate to wait. I open 3 browsers and free cell when I am on the computer so I never have to wait for something to read or do. I hate to wait at red lights. I hate to wait for the copier at work to print discharge instructions. I do bills, clean up, fold clothes or something while watching TV. I was the original multi-tasker. I hate to wait for the doctor to "give orders" at work when I know what needs to be done.
I think that is what I like about the ER. You can see a patient from start to finish, make them better and send them home. My favorite patients are anaphalactic reactions, asthma attacks or CHF, MI's with acute changes. These are the folks are present with an acute, life threatening event that you have a direct effect on, can "fix" it, and you the patient and the family feel good about it. It is why I do what I do. Unfortunately, that is only a small percentage of what we see. We also have lots of clinic stuff. Those can be rewarding as well, getting a fever down and reassuring a new mother with a febrile kid can be a great experience in teaching. Helping a kid relax who needs sutures or who has a fracture is a good feeling. It is great when you get a big thank you or a hug from getting a really hard stick IV on the first try. Helping the little old lady with the fractured hip get comfortable is a feel good. Giving an injection and having someone say, "that wasn't as bad as I expected", makes me feel good about what I do. There are lots of things that make this job worth doing. I don't however have any patience or compasssion for overdoses, drug seekers, drunks, street drug users, and just plain whiners. Yes, I know the bleeding hearts will say I am heartless and should treat them all the same. Well, I'm just not that good. Only Christ himself could love some of these people!
I love my job when I can do what I do best. I hate my job when I am inundated with paperwork, people who don't want to help themselves, and managers who don't have a clue as to real life. I have seen many, many changes in nursing in my years, not all of them good. Good luck in choosing where you want to be. Remember you are not locked into anything. There are lots of different avenues to take. Not all of them are for everyone.

veetach · Oct 25, 2004

I agree with everything the ER nurses said above. I have been an RN for 10 years and 8 of those have been in the ED. I currently work in a very very busy 24 bed ER. -not a trauma center- we see over 50,000 per year. We are holding patients constantly and usually have a waiting room chocked full of people who really dont need to be seen in the ER at all.

I feel like the ER picks its own. I have seen people come and people go, in the end, those who make it end up being thick skinned, type A personalities, with a morbid sense of humor, an ability to clean up a bloody wound and go to dinner and eat a plate of spaghetti or bread sticks with marinara sauce. (cold of course) with no problems. one more thing you need as an ER nurse, a HUGE bladder! good luck, learn lots and keep laughing!