Stressed out after 2 years in the ED - HELP!

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Dear Nurse Beth,

I currently have my RN license in TN. I have worked in a hospital for 2 years and I want to find a clinic job or something else outside of the hospital due to the stress of "cleaning up" after the previous shift and the ER. I am physically and emotionally drained and want a break without leaving nursing all together. Any advice?

Thanks for your help.

Dear Stressed,

It's really good when you recognize that you are burned out, because then you can make the necessary changes. You are stressed by two years in a very intense environment, the ED. Your are right, the antidote to nursing burnout is change. I hope you don't leave nursing altogether.

You are well qualified for a clinic job, and it will be less intense. You do mention ”cleaning up” after the previous shift as a stressor. Do you think that the cleaning up” after the previous shift will be less in a clinic setting?

There are also jobs in the hospital setting that are not as physically and emotionally draining, such as Pre-op admission, PACU, Cath Lab, for example.

Have you been working any extra shifts? If so, it is not a good idea for you right now. Can you take a vacation?

Take care and best wishes,

Nurse Beth

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Specializes in ER,Surgical ICU,Neuro ICU, OR.

I was in the ED for 3 years, it is called emergency room but 80% of the time you deal with ppl who shouldn't be there like the homeless and the drug seekers and the ppl with the flu. I tried OR briefly afterwards but some surgeons are *******s so now I'm in a neuro icu. In this icu charting takes almost 60% of your time and it's very tasky. I'm starting to think nursing is just a terrible profession lol.

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I am interpreting " stress of "cleaning up" after the previous shift " that you work an off shift. As a 24 /7 operation it is normal to hand over patients in the ED.If you are cleaning up messes it might be a provider created problem.Yes, ED providers bed block too. The goal of the provider is to complete care ,report off and leave. Do the the ED providers change their shift at the same time as the nursing staff? A common ploy is let all the beds fill,then close to the end of their shift make final dispositions.Typically about an hour before shift change decisions to admit are made.The providers know the floors won't take new admits during shift change or the ED must hold the pt until additional staff arrives The E D bed is occupied but the provider has completed their care. The provider can go home on time.... The danger and the frustration I experienced as the on coming nurse was giving a poor report/poor continuity of care to the receiving floor. I learned to beg the "bed czar" to find out what the bed assignment.Yes I know at 7pm there aren't any clean beds in the facility,I just want the oncoming shift to get report. I learned to beg the departing nurse to call report( I would complete the documents) and beg the on coming shift to accept report .I would negotiate a transfer time with the on coming shift (Sure I can bring them up after your shift report is complete).I would listen in the the report because I would be responsible for the pt for the next hour.This all had to be done between 701pm and 729pm. This is just one of the tricks of the trade. Remember you are making more work for the receiving staff,you are not their friend ..at that moment.I hope you are investing in your continued education,not just online CEU's but going to conferences. Sometimes working off shifts you can get isolated from professional support systems and family and friends. I think ED nursing rocks but I am one of those "seasoned nurses" I went back to school at age 51 .Now I have a day job with weekends and holidays off. Still when I hear an ambulance siren I catch my breath.I miss the intensity and the camaraderie of the emergency room.

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I've been a nurse for 1.5 years and I could not wait to get out of the hospital. I did PCU, oncology, and tele and all were pretty miserable most times with tele being the absolute worst. I felt after just a year and a half its way to early to be burned out but there I was having anxiety attacks and sleepless nights prior to going to work. I applied for RN case manager and will be starting that pretty soon. I'm open to change and will try to make this work. I am hoping I can do this for maybe two years as I want to switch careers. Nursing is a miserable profession and as far as I can see will probably get worst due to stupid HCHAPS.

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