What is the most common chief complaint or diagnosis in your ED?

Specialties Emergency

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I have never worked in the ER before, but my friends have told me that a lot of women/girls will come in just for urine pregnancy tests. Isn't it a lot cheaper to just buy one? They even sell them at dollar stores.

You can't get cheaper than "free."

Docs in my ED won't do preg tests if that's the only reason they are there.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

LunahRN,

I have to tell you that I have watched for your post since I decided years ago to obtain my RN through Excelsior College. Along with the fact that you were a paramedic obtaining your RN through Excelsior also has provided me a little extra motivation and encouragement along the way.

Well now I have my RN degree and Tennessee RN license.

I had an interview yesterday and to my utter disbelief, was offered a night **** position after an interview by the ED's DON and four night shift charge / head nurses with a large ED here in the Memphis region.

I am still in shock because the day before the interview, I spoke to the ED Manger by telephone and she informed me rightly so, that I had a few strikes against me in trying to land a job as a new RN. One strike is that I will stay working with my fire department which works 24 hour shifts. The second strike is the lack of a clinical process with Excelsior College.

Despite my belief that I could not possibly get a position in the ER, I decided to give the meeting with the ED manager a try with the hope to at least get some professional advice.

When I arrived for my appointment, I overheard the ED Manager tell her secretary that as a result of a couple of pressing issues that just occurred, she would not be able to do the interview, but instead, another nurse would do the interview. After hearing this statement, it just reinforced my belief that I was just out of luck.

A few minutes later, a nurse walks up and introduces himself as the Director of Nursing for all of this particular hospital system’s emergency departments. I just knew that this interview with the big man of the ED would be the death of any chance I had.

The ED’s DON sat me down and asked a few easy questions about my experience and expectations. After he completed his portion of the interview, the four night shift’s head nurses come in to interview me as well. When they walked in, they all sat down to form a crescent shape around me. They were the predators and I was their prey. Again I thought, “Here comes the real grilling.”

However, those nurses including the director were some of the most pleasant people I have ever met. After the four night shift nurses completed asking me their questions, the DON returned and told me that the night nurses recommended that he hire me!

As I type this page, I am still in shock. I think I should ask my wife to slap me to make sure I am awake.

It will be tough to work two full time jobs. One being 24-hour shifts at the fire department and the other 12 hour nights in the ED, but I am motivated to make this work for at least a year, until I can prove myself and then change my status to part time. The eventual part time status I want will only be so I can wok the ED schedule around my fire department schedule a little better.

I also see you have your CEN, which I have been studying for as well. I plan to take the CEN in about three months.

I am so psyched that I am already unable to sleep throughout the night without awakening to the thought of how will I do, or will I be a good ED nurse.

Onward I go. I will now be able to post my thoughts and try to help other new emergency nurses as they ask questions on this site.

Thanks for the motivation

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Thanks for the motivation

Wow!! I am so happy for you! Congrats. :) :) :) I'm going to send you a PM, too.

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Congrats Streptococcus!

What does that have to do with this thread though lol? The story had some momentum; however, the plot threw me off and it left me confused.

Most common complaints/diagnosis?

Chest Pain

Sob

Asthma

ABD Pain

Flank Pain

Vomiting

Cold Symptoms

Chronic Pain

ETOH

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Sorry about my post concerning my new ED job. I thought I followed the correct process to send the e-mail directly to LunahRN, but obviously I failed.

Ooops, my bad

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Editing

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Specializes in ER.

Abdominal pain/nausea/vomiting

flank pain

chest pain

SOB

pain med refills

lady partsl bleeding

(you dont see many "emergencies")

for kids-->fever/cough/runny nose

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Specializes in ER.
We see a TON of psych patients ... probably because there is a psych unit right upstairs from us, and people come to our ED for medical clearance before going upstairs. Or they come from 3 counties away, only to find out our psych unit upstairs has no beds ... that gets frustrating! They should go to their closest ED for med clearance, period.

Beyond the pregnancy tests, we get "sono seekers" -- usually the ones without prenatal care, but they want to know the sex of their child. We don't tell them, nor do we give them a sono picture for their wallet. :D

ANYWAY. Good luck! Your excitement make me smile!! :) And you'll probably notice when you get one kind of complaint (i.e., SOB, chest pain, flank pain, etc.), you'll usually get three or four of them at a time. It's kinda weird like that!

You are so right on!!...From 7a-7p today, LITERALLY, all i saw was abdominal pain with and without N/V. Thats it. I saw 15 N/V patients.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

I wish you the best in your career and life QueensNurse.

It seems that the ED, while initially exciting, will eventually progress to being a repetitive task for those of us new to the emergency department.

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Editing

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I have never worked in the ER before, but my friends have told me that a lot of women/girls will come in just for urine pregnancy tests. Isn't it a lot cheaper to just buy one? They even sell them at dollar stores.

I've said this elsewhere on this board, but I believe that a lot of them do this because they believe that if they are pregnant, the ER can perform an abortion.

JMHO. What is you folks' experience regarding this?

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I've only ever had one person ask about an getting an abortion in the ER. Most just come to the ER for the "official" pregnancy test so that they can apply for medicaid or continue their coverage. A positive home pregnancy test isn't going to cut it at the Medicaid office.

However, medicaid has begun refusing to pay for ER visits specifically for a pregnancy test so most women come in with a c/o "abdominal pain" knowing that they'll get a pregnancy test as part of the work up. Then they have their free test, and sufficient evidence to take to the medicaid office.

That being said abdominal pain and "vomiking" are probably the most common complaints at my ER. Oh, and the ever present "my [chronic pain] hurts and I'm out of my percocet."

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