What to expect as an ED nurse?

[CW30]

hi all,

i will be graduating from my bsn program soon and i am starting to think about what floor i would like to work on. i am really interested in working in the ed, however, i am not too sure what to expect. i am an er fanatic and hope that real life is like the show....somehow i highly doubt that though! is nursing in the ed very stressful?? i am a bit nervous i won't be able to handle it?! also, many places i have looked at require at least 1-3 years experience before being able to work as an ed nurse? is this true for all places? if so, what should i do for experience....in terms of what floor and/or what specialty to get the 1-3 years experience? please, any advice, experiences, thoughts...are appreciated! thanks!! :)

[austin heart, BSN, RN]

That green print is really hard to read.

But to answer your question, nursing in the ER in really nothing like the show ER. The show is more about who is sleeping with who and what is going on in their lives than about the medical profession. Besides I have never thought that ER was a very good representation of nurses, it makes us look like we are all out to get the hot doctor. By the way, none of the doctors in my ER are as hot as Carter of Kovach! :)

It is a very stressful and demanding department. You must have excellent time management skills and be able to handle several patients with multiple complaints at one time. Though there are some places that hire new grads straight into the ER I would not recommend it (some may disagree with me). I think it helps a person to have a strong medical background coming from both medical floor and critical care. An emergency nurse needs to be very well rounded and confident in their skills as most times there is alot of autonomy within our scope of practice.

Working in the ER is fun and exciting. Everyday is something new. Good Luck!