Your One Best Piece Of Advice Please.

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Hi everyone...just got my job in the ER after doing pretty much the last 13yrs in medical. Sooo excited but of course nervous, heaps to learn and want to do well! I'd really like some morsels of great advice to get me started...you know those wonderful bits of knowledge that you just know will help someone on their way!! Thanks heaps all you wonderful hard working nurses.:yeah::nurse:

Specializes in LTC, ER.

I agree with all the prior posters. to me er is about teamwork. some nurses new to er have had problems with pitching in and helping with other nurses patients. the "it's not my patient" attitude does not work in er.

as another nurse said- you learn to anticipate.

you learn to constantly triage your patients in your head, thinking, who is the sickest, who has the potential to crump. those are the ones that you spend your time with. prioritizing is very important. often the pt who is the loudest jerk (and not acutely ill)will try to demand all your attention, while your sick pt will sit quietly and die. gotta have a thick skin, because someone is always going to be angry with you about something, even when you think you are doing a good job.

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Specializes in ER, telemetry.

Don't take work home

Bring your lunch (or dinner). You may actually get to eat something.

Take time out to pee

Always monitor BP and O2 sat if giving narcs.

Kids decompensate quickly, with tachycardia and tachypnea being the first signs.

If in doubt, ASK!!!!!

Use the docs as a great source of knowledge, ask lots of questions, ask why they are ordering certain tests/labs. Ask to see xrays. The more you learn, the more comfortable you will feel working in the ER.

Call for help if you need it.

Laugh often!!

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