Why I like small ER's

oobie · Jun 17, 2008

I live in the STL area....I have worked in many ER's throughout STL and the metro east...however...I have a favorite place to work and that is not BARNES the 'top 10 hospital' level 1 trauma center or ST JOHN'S Mercy the biggest ER in the city.....NOPE....it is a small inner city hospital where the total number of beds is 14!! Where the manager knows you by name and a friendly place to work!! At first, I thought I would miss the excitement.....however, I traded working at a "trauma" unit for a "drama" unit AND I LOVE IT...:redpinkhe:redpinkhe
I am not putting down any big hospital, I am just saying that when you truly enjoy your job and RESPECT your management.....it is worth writing about!!
My top 6 things I love about working in a small hospital is:
1.) Hospital orientation not as long
2.) Know everybody and work more like a family
3.) no confusion of whose manager, ass manager, director
4.) smaller patient ratios
5.) 1 min walk from parking lot to ER doors
6.) More flexible hours...I current work T, W, TH, no weekends, 2 holidays a year:yeah:
Brandie :heartbeat

what state are you working?:heartbeat

racing-mom4, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2008

Brandie we just had this discussion over the weekend. I work at a small community hospital, our ER has 12 beds and the ICU 6 and Med Surg 24. We see such a variety--I have had burn patients, a bleeding AAA (DNR) , Gas Gangrene (for about 2 hours before we flew her)--this past week due to storms we have had 3 chain saw accidents--not to mention your strokes-MI-surgical-ortho- etc etc etc ---where as my friends who work at the big cities all work in specialty--my friend who works Neuro said if I see one more "left sided weakness" I am going to screem!!.

Every night I go in it is something different. Also agree with the everyone knows your name, your kids name, your dogs name. I leave my house at 6:30 and can clock in by 6:38. and that includes chatting with the cleaning lady in the lobby.

greenjanell · Jun 17, 2008

I work in a small ER comparitivly, however, i guess we have the best of both worlds. our ER is 19 beds, not a trauma center, but still the biggest in our area (within 50 miles or so) but its still small enough that everyone knows everyone, we are very much like family. Rural area, so we see a lot of good stuff (farm accidents, 4 wheeler accidents, high speed MVA) most of which gets flown out, but when the weather is bad......you know the drill. Everyone from the pre hospital staff to the doctors knows everyone and thier life story. We are all very close. I know a lot of ERs are like that, just because of the pressure we work under. We lean on each other for everything from the pedi code to the nurses cat that dies. I love my job and the people that make it possible for me to save lives....my co workers.:redpinkhe

Itshamrtym · Jun 17, 2008

Hello:

This is good to know!!!! I tried the big ER thing and really didn't like it... Too many patients and etc... Didn't feel like I could do a great job... In the near future very close to home, we are getting a free standing ER... only 11 beds... I might try ER again when it arrives???

I am curious how this will work since it is not attached to a hospital...

Katnip, RN · Jun 17, 2008

Hello:
This is good to know!!!! I tried the big ER thing and really didn't like it... Too many patients and etc... Didn't feel like I could do a great job... In the near future very close to home, we are getting a free standing ER... only 11 beds... I might try ER again when it arrives???
I am curious how this will work since it is not attached to a hospital...

Admissions and very serious cases that need more people and equipment get sent to the "mother ship." You will still deal with MIs, trauma, etc. at least to get them stable enough for transfer.

Spacklehead, MSN, NP · Jun 17, 2008

I completely agree about it being nice to work in a small ER - especially when the hospital itself is small. I used to work in a rural 8-bed ER and we would always get a little bit of everything. I have never seen the variety of patients, worked with such a close-knit staff or enjoyed my job as much as I did at that ER. It was a shame that it had to close down.

The nice thing was that the whole hospital was like family - we all helped each other out - even in different departments. We also had wonderful relationships with the docs - it was not uncommon at all to see the docs, nurses and techs all sitting together at one table eating lunch.

What we lacked in resources and technology was definitely made up for by the level of teamwork we shared.

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2008

ass manager

i know, i know. you were abbreviating.

but i had to.

hehe.

anyway, i've never worked er but i loved working in a small hospital anyway. i felt like we truly were a family there! it might not have been the most high-tech, pretty place (and we did a lot of transfers to big mama in the suburbs) but i wouldn't have traded it for sparkling floors any day!

jess

Dorito, ASN, RN · Jun 17, 2008

I've worked in a small facility all my nursing career- different units over the years but I have to agree that it's been to my advantage. I have seen many unusual things during my career that I wouldn' t have had the opportunity to see if I was working in a specialized area. I also like the small town atmosphere within our system.

sissiesmama, ASN, RN · Jun 17, 2008

nursebrandie28 - you are so right! I think my favorite facility to work was the small ER in a small town about 40 minutes from us. You never felt like you were just "out there with your rear hanging in the breeze", so to speak. If the ER was "dead", (poor choice of words, I guess!). I would go down the hall to the ICU or medical unit. If the ambulance phone rang, everyone was down there within seconds to back you up, whether it was a trauma MVA, stabbing, ect. Didn't matter, they were right there. And at least at that facility, there wasn't all the backbiting and BS and on and on.

I'm glad we feel the same way! Anne, RNC:yeah: