What nursing skills do you use the most?

navynurse06 · Jul 16, 2008

IV skills...time management skills....get used to giving alot of pain meds...some days I feel like I am a drug dealer with all the pain meds I give out. But the most important skill I use is anger management when I deal with difficult people and stupidity on a shift to shift basis. Some days I wonder why I went to college for this...I really love my job...don't I? :confused:

MassED, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2008

Thanks for all the replies so far. I have 3 years ICU experience, so I have a pretty firm grasp on my assessment skills. I wish I was more confident in my IV skills...but most of my patients either have a central line or are grossly edematous and/or a hard stick. I try not to stick more than twice (per policy) and if I know it will be virtually impossible, I defer to our long-time pro who used to be an IV nurse years ago. I'm good with starting/maintaining drips, intubations, assisting w/ art. line/central line insertions, basically all things "critical care".
Are there any things "strictly ER" related, or more-often seen in the ER that I would need to know that I probably wouldn't do regularly in an ICU setting?

I would think you'll be great at all of the critical care patients who are intubated, placed on a vent and given a ton of drips - that's your area of expertise and probably really easy for you. I would say you won't get the chance to be quite so detailed, like you were in ICU, on each patient - which I understand frustrates some ICU nurses that transition to the ER. As for everything else, it'll be smooth sailing. You're used to monitoring closely and know the signs of decompensation - so it'll be fun - as long as you'll like those critical ones to move up to the floor so you can get on to your other patients!

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Jul 19, 2008

Drama defusing, and sick vrs not-sick.

Also you need to deal with all levels of society, something nurses are great at but the ER seems to have a greater range than the floors.