Plan to transfer from tele to er

swifty1031 · Jul 28, 2009

You must work at the same place I do!! I am currently wanting to transfer... it will be interesting to see the responses.

Inspire1983 · Jul 30, 2009

im a tele nurse too and my friend works in the ER and keep trying to get me to work there, she raves about it. im thinking about it too.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Aug 6, 2009

I am actually tired of my patients demands of graham crackers and juice, pain meds, and they usually feel that they are in a hotel, plus we have a 6 ratio patients to 1 nurse. Sometimes we do primary care nursing due to lack of techs

That actually sounds like some days in my ED (they come in needing a blanket/bathroom/beverage/food tray STAT!), except that usually we only have a max of 5 patients at a time. Why not see if you can shadow in that ED to see how it is there?

Good luck!!

robinbird · Sep 30, 2009

I am a tele/cardiology nurse and have applied to the ER. I'm very nervous about making the change because I'm comfortable where I am now. Still, I feel like I need to do ths, to learn how to manage trauma, fresh MI's, strokes and deal with patients who have not been stabilized yet.

I look forward to the pace of the ER, to the support staff (quite lacking where I am now) and learning how to do tasks that we don't do now (starting IV's, drawing blood, etc.)

I interview for the ER position next week. If anyone has any tips on interviewing or making this change feel free to comment.

Robinbird

EmergencyNrse · Sep 30, 2009

Hi to all!
I am actually tired of my patients demands of graham crackers and juice, pain meds, and they usually feel that they are in a hotel

Don't look for that to change at all.

Everything is all about the Press Ganey and Gallup Polls.

Give 'em the kitchen sink whether it's good for them or not. After all they HAVE to feel good about their visit or you're doing it wrong. Can you say unreasonable expectations???

...I'm not kidding.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2009

As a recent transfer from the floor to the ED, I can tell you that it is different. While there are a fair amount of people that come to the ED expecting "pillow fluffing", it does not even come close to taking as much of your time and energy as it does on the floor. Not even close. Yes, you do assist people with toileting, get them warm blankets, maybe some juice and crackers, but the sheer amount of time you spend doing it in the ED is not nearly as oppressive as that on the floor.

Jennifer, RN · Oct 1, 2009

As a recent transfer from the floor to the ED, I can tell you that it is different. While there are a fair amount of people that come to the ED expecting "pillow fluffing", it does not even come close to taking as much of your time and energy as it does on the floor. Not even close. Yes, you do assist people with toileting, get them warm blankets, maybe some juice and crackers, but the sheer amount of time you spend doing it in the ED is not nearly as oppressive as that on the floor.

I agree.

But, ER nursing is HARD work, very emotionally and physically draining. I suggest shadowing for a couple days to really get a feel for what ER nurses do. I worked on tele for 5 years and was still like a deer in the headlights when I started in the ER. It is a different world, fast-paced, chaotic at times, but can be very, very rewarding

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2009

I agree.
But, ER nursing is HARD work, very emotionally and physically draining. I suggest shadowing for a couple days to really get a feel for what ER nurses do. I worked on tele for 5 years and was still like a deer in the headlights when I started in the ER. It is a different world, fast-paced, chaotic at times, but can be very, very rewarding

Very true. Deer in the headlights describes me to a T!

nursepotter05, RN · Oct 1, 2009

I graduated in 2005, i have worked er my entire nursing career and was a patient care tech in the er before that. I love it. I don't get attached to patients or their families because they don't stay in the er long. I worked pediatric er for 4 years, so not getting attached was important to me. Also, it is fast paced, you never know what's going to roll through the doors, you never know what skills you might have to use any given night. It is very frustrating, though, since many people use the er for a clinic. I would have to say more than 50% of the pt's i see a night are not truly even close to being a true emergency! But it is definatley worth it when you help save someones life!

wibobr · Oct 3, 2009

With the poor economy and health care dynamics at the moment, there's not much difference in the ER. Census is up, staffing cut to the bone, demanding pts with primary care type woes and moans, those that are sick are really train wrecks needing ever bit of skill and knowledge we possess. And then there's the customer service stuff lead by Press Ganey. Nope, not much difference except to say the pace is much faster!