Student Nurse take on ED rotation

[Melilem]

I am a bridge student, I graduate in May, I have no hospital experience. I've recently preceptored in the emergency department. ED rotation was so exciting, unpredictable, and fast paced. I know its not always fun and exciting, but the ED nurses had a solid broad knowledge of, well, everything we've learned, and I'd imagine they are always learning new things. They are confident and quick thinking and really know what they're doing. Plus, an ED nurse around here makes around $70k, which is a lot more than I'm making now. It was very heartening to me to learn that my preceptor graduated from my school just 3 years ago. We do have a StaRN program here that provides training and preceptorship to new grads who want to go right into ED, but the nurse I worked with transferred after a year in med surg. Oh and as a side note, to emphasize how fun ED nurses are, the Journal of Emergency Nursing is actually interesting! I wish I'd known about that before I did this evidenced based project (presentation tomorrow, bleh), and ena.org has events and education and even free CEUs if your a member. Bottom line, I love emergency department nursing.

[Lipoma, BSN, RN]

I can't wait to do my final preceptorship in the ED. I found out I was selected for this specialty last week!

I'm debating on joining ENA as a student.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Uh oh StaRN, smells like HCA to me.

Glad you liked it. It certainly isn't for everyone but it sure is fun.

[JWEMT]

I think ED nursing is far from "solid broad knowledge". I've never been an ED nurse but pretty much every body that comes in

Cardiac = do this

Pulmonary = do that

Neuro = something else

it's very protocol driven so the knowledge is probably not as broad as you may think. But yes you will have great experiences in the ED.

[JKL33]

[Wuzzie]

I think ED nursing is far from "solid broad knowledge". I've never been an ED nurse but pretty much every body that comes in

Cardiac = do this

Pulmonary = do that

Neuro = something else

it's very protocol driven so the knowledge is probably not as broad as you may think. But yes you will have great experiences in the ED.

Given that you've never actually been an ED nurse this is a rather ballsy and off-base statement.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

There are many nurses in many settings that have broad, solid knowledge, not just ED. And yes, I have encountered not so bright, arrogant ED nurses.

ED is not my cup of tea, either. I think students tend to like it because they get to do lots "stuff" , don't have to do many personal cares, and only have to address one problem per patient. I had a student tell me that ED made her feel like a real nurse "because she got to start IVs".

[JWEMT]

Given that you've never actually been an ED nurse this is a rather ballsy and off-base statement.

I've never been a CNA but I know it's back breaking work.

[Wuzzie]

I've never been a CNA but I know it's back breaking work.

Because everything a CNA does is something you've done as a nurse so you're argument doesn't hold water and still doesn't make you right.