So... How real is the show ER?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Okay, so I'm very new to this forum and I'm starting my nursing education. And I'm SURE (like 100% positive) that this has been discussed here before (probably many times), but how does the show ER portray what happens in a real ER where you all work?

Again, I'm sure this has been discussed before so if you know what page it's on or whatever, just steer me in the right direction. I would search for "ER" but you know... umm... I think I'd find a lot of results that way.

Thanks!

BTW... I am considering going into the ER specialty.

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I am not a nurse yet so I can not answer your question from their perspective. Have been a patient many many many times over my life can tell you not to accurate. here are some er threads

https://allnurses.com/flight-nursing-surface/er-television-show-192191.html

https://allnurses.com/emergency-nursing/e-r-tv-137484.html

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

TV dramas = not reality. Period.

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Specializes in ER.

I wish my ER ran as smooth as the one on TV. They are absolutely nothing alike. If you think that is what nursing is you are in for a big, big shock. Don't base your decision to go to nursing school on a TV show.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

"Nurse Jackie" on Showtime and the later episodes of "HawthoRNe" on TNT are a bit more accurate but no TV drama can depict the realities of working in the ER. The second to the last episode of "HawthoRNe" (entitled "Mother's Day) was an amazing depiction of outcomes and emotions in the ER.

If you're interested in ER and are starting nursing school (not just the pre-reqs) do speak with your instructors about your interest. It may be possible for you to do some clinicals in the ER, special projects or an externship at some point.

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Specializes in ED.

agreed, totally different. I work in the ED. 99% of my day is looking at people with stomach aches, headaches, "back pain", and various other NON emergent problems. car accidents and falls. as pp said, things don't run that smoothly.

you are just starting out and you might very well go into emergency as specialty, but do try to go in with an open mind, you might be surprised at what you end up loving! I went in 100% certain I would do psych. I loved it, but found my home in the ED!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

FriarTuck, if you want the "pick-apart" version of what is wrong with ER's portrayal of nursing, have I got a link for you! :)

http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/action/letters/er/er.html

But I do love working in the ED, truly. :D Good luck to you in your nursing school endeavors!

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Thanks for the quick replies! What I was really wondering about was the limited role the RNs had in the ER show. The docs seem to do everything. I'm seeing from the one of the linked threads that it's really RNs that do a lot of work that the docs do on ER. I just watched several of the episodes and I was thinking that maybe I should try to become a doctor instead of an RN!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
What I was really wondering about was the limited role the RNs had in the ER show.

That drives me crazy on ER, House, Grey's Anatomy .... LOL. My husband hates watching TV with me sometimes! :D I'm always like, "OH COME ON! The NURSE would be doing that ..."

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Specializes in ED.

HAHA! we had a little girl the other day who I was doing a straight cath on, her anatomy was a little different, her labia minora looked almost fused together, I asked the MD if she wanted to take a look, she was like "sure, but I wouldn't know how to cath her even if you wanted me to"...yeah...I know...

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Pedi/Tele.

I kinda wish it was like "ER"... it would be more exciting!

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Specializes in MED SURG.

I would have to agree with the the other post. Working in the ER is NOTHING like the show. The techs do alot of the stuff and the nurses do alot of the stuff and the Dr. wait to see what the nurse tells them. The Dr's really don't do alot of pt care at all. Most of the time the ER is really boaring, and you get alot of repeat offenders (that is, people that come in all the time for non- emergency matters). Even the shows on Discovery Health depicting trauma in the ER, we had one come to the ER that I worked and they were there for a month and they only showed an hr of Trauma that was gathered over a month. If you want alot of trauma you should work at a level one trauma hospital. even then its still not like ER on TV. Oh and not everyone that works in the ER is good looking.

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