Tips For New Grad entering ED

Buckeye RN/EMT-P · Oct 15, 2008

congrats, cherry...welcome to the wonderful world of er nursing. my best advice to you would be to find yourself a good mentor (after your finished with your orientation preceptor) who is willing to work with you and show you the ropes, answer any questions, give advice, and be there to support you on those not-so-good days (and there will be those kinda days!) there are so many great nurses out there with tons of information to pass on to younger nurses to help guide them early in their careers. er is a great place to work - especially if you like to challenge your critical thinking, and enjoy seeing so many new things in one shift. that was the lure of the er for me - not just working with a set group of patients, but getting to experience many different types of illnesses/injuries in one shift. wish you the best! :cool:

Buckeye RN/EMT-P · Oct 15, 2008

ooops...almost forgot - another thing to help you prepare would be to get all of your alphabet classes if you do no already have them - tncc, enpc, acls, pals, itls and also attend an ekg course. if you do these over the course of your first year - two years, you will get more of the didactic knowledge that is vital in the ed. hope that helps. :cool:

futurecnm · Oct 15, 2008

I'm in my 3rd month in a busy ED. I won't lie, it is overwhelming. It is hard for a new grad. It is face paced and you need to think on your feet. You are expected to act. BUt I like it and know it will take time to feel good. I just keep on trying my best and keep a positive attitude. And ask questions, all the time!

FERN-tastic · Oct 17, 2008

Ask questions, get involved, and don't be shy. Seek out any and all learning opportunities that you can. Be prepared to feel overwhelmed and slow...it will pass. Don't get discouraged!