melissakp

We are required to have a triage RN 24/7. Even if we are short handed in the back, if there are pts in the waiting room the triage nurse must remain up front.

I am just looking for nurses to document that a wound exists in the ED chart. I am looking at traumatic wounds that are the reason for the visit. Not the nasty ulcerations/pressure wounds that wound care has been following.

I'm responsible for creating peer chart review forms and this month I've chosen traumatic wound documentation. Does anyone have any suggestions of things I should have the nurses looking for in the charts ex; type of wound, size.... what other things do you find important for wound documentation?

just remember to focus on only the body area that the complaint is about unless you see something else contributing. You can go back later after you've got all your pts settled, labs and meds done, and do more assessments if you think they are warranted. As a preceptor I try to always ask my new nurse after we leave the room what they think is going on and is there anything they may have forgotten or would like to go back and re-evaluate when time permits. That is the preceptors job.

remember in the ED your are there to address current life threatening events/problems. Example, back pain you need to know how long, any tingling numbness, and any bowel bladder issues. Then the rest is up to the MD. Maybe I over simplified it some may say. But you don't really need to do a cardiac or resp assessment on this pt. just GSC, musculoskeletal and minimal neuro by the questions you ask. Ask questions while getting the vs.

I was a medic/ff for 20 years and I feel the advantages were: I didn't have to wait and apply to nursing school and retake all my basic classes again because by AS degree was "to old". I have alot of experience taking care of pts. in crisis so sorethroats and earaches are not a big deal in the ED. I fit right in since I got a job in the ED in the town I was a medic in.

I love working 12's but I used to work 24's as a medic so this is a piece of cake. I don't have a phone in my bedroom and my cell phone is silenced so I don't get woke up. Also I can turn my doorbell off. I sleep with earplugs and my bedroom window covered and a fan running. I can sleep anywere anytime if I'm tired. My family likes it because every 2 weeks I get a 6 day stretch off. I work nights and love that too, not so many extra people around.

I work as an RN in a stand alone UC. We see, chest pain, weakness, sore throat, UTI, back pain, lacerations, fractures, HA, n/v/d, psych... anything people decide they don't want to go to the ER and wait a long time to be seen with. I work in the smaller clinic in our town we see about 20 pts. in a 9 hr shift our other clinic is bigger and they see about 60pts. with 2 drs. we have 1 dr. I like working there not quiet as chaotic as an ER. Funny though I just accepted an ER job start in a week, I'm excited I'm a new nurse. I felt the UC gave me a chance to practice some basic skills under lower pressure. Melissa:nurse:

I agree on networking, I didn't get hired because recruiting liked my application. I got hired because I met the ED manager and took a casual job in a clinic in the same health system. I joined ENA and met other hospital ED staff and put my name out. I don't know any magic answer. Melissa grad 9/09 job 3/10

Graduated Sept. 09, just got a job in ER in Albany OR Start March 1st. ER was my first choice since I'm a paramedic, it is the area that most closely relates. Don't know if I could do floor nursing, don't understand managing the same pts. for 12hrs ... but someone has to. Melissa

yes by all means contact her. TO me the letter first sounds good then a phone call, but I am not an expert in proper ettiquete. But you have to do something. I also did job shadows at a local hospital just to meet some people and see what they do. Melissa

Just accepted an ER job in Albany OR. Start March 1. I graduated from Excelsior sept. 09, medic for 20 years at Albany Fire Dept. Finally got the job I wanted, so excited and scared because I have soo much to learn. Melissa:yeah:

Most places are being picky, I applied at Salem, got denied they only hired BSN's for the internships. Applied Good Sam Corvallis they didn't take me in their critical care internship. Applied at Silverton, not enough experience. and so on... I am a new nurse graduated sept. 09 and a medic for 20 years, but they only count nursing exp. But I did get a casual job at a stand alone urgent care for Samaritan Health in Albany, just yesterday I accepted a full time ER position in Albany, now I will get to go in to the critical care internship and get my spot in the ER. It was all the phone calls and meeting dept. managers and talking myself up. My app was never forwarded past recuriting without the manager calling for it. So jobs are tough to come by just about any where. Get out and meet people, I joined the ENA is how I met some ER managers from my area. Melissa RN

I am a paramedic and did the Excelsior program, all online and self study until the big test at the end. You can go and check out some web sites for the following areas in Salem to find out job openings. I don't know if you are interested in LTC or hospital/clinic www.indeed.com create a job agent www.salemclinic.org www.samhealth.org or just search Oregon nursing jobs on google, thats how I found all the websites for the places I was interested in. Melissa:nurse: