Tips for a New ER Nurse

[melmacrn]

I passed NCLEX in August and I'll be starting my first job as an RN in the ER in a couple weeks. I did my 64 hour preceptor at the ER over the summer, so I have a good idea of the routines, documentations, etc. There was a lot of tips and tricks offered by my preceptor, but SO MANY that it's impossible to remember them all. I wanted to make a little cheat sheet to keep in a binder to help me during my first few months, so any tips you would like to share would be very helpful.

For example, I know there are certain drugs that are very painful to administer, so diluting them can ease discomfort. I know the orders never called for the drug to be diluted, but the nurse always knew which ones and the steps to follow--not something we're taught in school.

Plus, approved ways to minimize pain during debridements or stitch removal (other than morphine prior to the procedure).

Just anything you learned and would like to share which new (or even tenured) nurses would be of great help.

Thank you and have a great day!!!

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Congratulations on your new job. How very exciting! This question has been asked ad nauseum here on AN. Just type "tips ER" into the search engine and you'll get a page full of links to those threads. Good luck with your new job!