"You know you are an ER Nurse when..."

Sara, RN · Jan 12, 2006

When you go to your place of employment with your dehydrated 2 year old, tell the Doc you've done everything you can at home, you want a fluid bolus & some phenergan...you proceed to put in the line then snuggle up with your son for a much needed snooze by both of you! And after that, all's well.

Victoriakem · Jan 13, 2006

Your favorite "hobby" at work is watching thru the tinted glass to see which patients "can walk and run" to the ER doors fine......but once thru the ER doors....have to "HOLD" to the ED walls as they limp helplessly to the triage nurse.

A coworker who worked Triage & had someone who complained of back pain so terrible, "they couldn't move" would drop her pen on the floor & see the patient would bend over to pick it up. When that patient demonstrated that they could indeed bend over to retrieve the pen for her, she would document that for the Doc to see. Some back pain!

schoona · Jan 13, 2006

...When the neighbours/friends/school parents ask you advice about themselves/the kids or the pets.

.... Your at the soccer gala day and the duly elected first aider and some drops and has a Grand mal less than 5m away from you.

..... and worse still you break your ankle, don't live in your hospitals pick up zone, but the paramedic crew that arrives are an out of area crew that get excited because its one of their ED nurses (trimaleor # and dislocation - shouldn't rush to get out of bed after night duty!!)

and yes all the above have happened!!:imbar

Anernurse2b · Jan 21, 2006

you know you're an ER nurse when:

... you get excited for patients that their wait time after triage is less than 4 hours....

... the tooth to tattoo ratio exceeds the shoe size

... when the little old gomer w/brady (crash cart in room) says his ears are ringing, his chest feels funny, and is going to another world.... the MD, cardiac nurse, etc. rush in to prepare to intubate and begin pushing meds... the pt. draws up as if seizing... the team rolls him on his side and he vomits forcefully all over your ER TECH/NURSING STUDENT (ME). You're HAPPY because his heart rate comes back up, he regains consciousness and the cath lab team is at the doorway.....

..... You smile when the 'urinary retention' x 2 days patient provides a urine sample within 20 minutes

..... You roll your eyes when the 25 year old with 'flank pain' who you remembered went WMA yesterday after 2 hours of waiting comes back today and signs in with flank pain AND chest pain; turns to the person with her and says "Yesterday they took the lady with chest pain right back to a room so I know I'll get in faster" and she thinks you didn't hear her

.... You're already telling these stories and not graduating from nursing school until MAY! :chuckle :rotfl:

RNin92 · Jan 22, 2006

You know you are an ER nurse when...

A trauma patient comes in with his foot facing backwards and all you can think of is..."COOL!".

You can code a patient and order lunch...all at the same time.

You have the phone numbers for Poison Control, Crisis Line and the Coroner;s office memorized.

Just once, you want to be able to say to the yahoo that calls to ask if you think his tail bone is broken...well put the phone right up to your a$$...

You have just worked a 12 hour shift, never got a chance to pee let alone take a break...and a Level 1 Trauma comes flying in your doors and you think...just for a minute...I could stay...

dcastlewood · Jan 24, 2006

One of our doctors brought us some bumper stickers that say, "I'm an E.R. nurse...I'm here to save your [rear end], not to wipe it!

I'd have put it on my truck if it had sad "kiss" instead of wipe!!!

Toby's mum · Jan 24, 2006

You walk on the floor and the board is full of red ICU/PCU/GMF holds. Hallway is packed and like an obstacle course. ER is on full divert and yet in comes a respiratory arrest. You work the code everyone doing their part--some cracking jokes to diffuse the tension--until agonal turns into asystole. Then you quickly shift gears and turn your attention to the remaining patients who still have a pulse. AND LOVE IT :)

sawbones · Jan 24, 2006

You know your an ER nurse.....

1) When the PD brings in the drug dealer who ate his stash, you lavage him while ordering chinese take out, then strain the "rocks" out of the spagettios using a coffee filter, while the arresting officer vomits on the dealer, because he has to stay there with you because of "chain of custody".

2) You just start making bannana bags and doing inventory on charcoal when you show up to work, 12-31.

PedsER-RN, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2006

http://www.realnurse.net/humour/bumpers.shtml

Check out the very last one.....I think my car could use it! Come to think of it, there should be one of these in every room at work!!

PedsER-RN, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2006

oops, that was supposed to be directed at dcastlewood...sorry for any confustion.

jillrn1966 · Feb 15, 2006

I have been doing this too long! when the PD pulls your 18 yr old daughter over for 80 in a 50 looks at the registration sees your name on it asks if she is your daughter and then says tell your mom hi and lets her go!

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2006

I have been doing this too long! when the PD pulls your 18 yr old daughter over for 80 in a 50 looks at the registration sees your name on it asks if she is your daughter and then says tell your mom hi and lets her go!

Isnt that the truth of it. That started happening with my kids. But after awhile I got to thinking, there was something wrong with this. Now all the police know that if it is my child, one of 7 of them. Then they need to stop them, ticket them and whatever else is appropiate. As that way they will learn whats right and wrong.