VCullen

While we didn't call it a nurse extern, I was essentially a paid nursing student in an ED for about a year before I got my RN. I know that in Ohio, I wasn't permitted to start IV's because I wasn't allowed to give meds (and saline was considered a medicine.) I would check your job description closely and ask any questions regarding your scope of practice from management only! When i asked questions about what I should be/could be doing from fellow staff members, I got an similar answer to your "pretty much anything you can handle." Not all medics/RN's I worked with were familiar with my job description and after I was oriented I found myself educating a lot of them on the boundaries of what I could do. As for what my job entailed, I did A LOT of transporting patients to other floors. I also worked in the ED laboratory running stat Troponins and UAs. I got very familiar with labs in the process. I brought people a lot of snacks, answered call lights, notified nurses of beeping IV pumps (since I was not permitted to silence or restart them), changed diapers/beds, placed foleys, did blood draws, accu-checks, vitals, inventoried clothing and provided constant supervision to patients who needed it. I also occasionally held/opened (while maintaining sterility) supplies for doctor's doing lumbar punctures or gynecological exams. I did my share of running to blood bank. Expect a LOT of EKG's and hooking patients up to monitors. I did some restocking of cabinets too. Hope that helps...