[Kendall]

what all does an er nurse do?
thanks
kendall
future male nurse

[1mg.epi]

1. since drunk tanks are closed due to law suits, their drunk buts come to you where they are rude and pee all over the place.

2. The ER nurse has to deal with the person who had a cold for 1 month, never saw their family Doctor. This is the person who gets mad when you take a chest pain patient back before them.

3. If you work in a facility with no PSY capabilities, you will have to keep the drug OD's and crazy's in your ER and it ties up beds for 2 days.

4. Remember, as an ER nurse your job is to get the doc to get people out as fast as possible. If the patient is in the ER too long they will find another problem for you to treat or a family member will say, "Since I am here I guess I will be seen also."

5. Then you deal with the person who comes into the ER when the waiting room is full on Sunday night. They start yelling, I have chest pain." So you move a patient into the hall so you have a cardiac room to put the patient in. You rush the patient into the room and start your O2 placing pt on monitors. At that point the ER doc rushes into the room and asked what is wrong sir? Pt replies, "I have had back pain all week and need an off work slip for tomorrow."(some one did this to me once.

[doubleA]

I can care less to tell people anymore where i work, or what i do, as burn't as i am i introduce myself as a sanitation engineer, i work in the frontlines of the disposal of "Sh--t". fyi

[acutecarenp]

Dear Double A..
I think it may be time for a career change...or at least time to polish up the resume' and go on some interviews!
I can't help but think that the dissatisfaction you feel with your practice is affecting the way you are caring for the people you need to advocate for!

[kidrn911]

Well working in a Pediatric ER next to a large college University it ranges from dealing with drunks that fall down stairs to sniffles.

[shepb2004]

I have worked in the ER since I graduated in 2002 and have found the exact same problems and frustrations. I have found that the true emergencies that I care for out weigh the BULL....! and that is why I still practice as an ER nurse and always will. I guess I like the Drama as much as I do the Trauma. I really hope you can get some type of resolve and begin enjoying your nursing career. We all worked to hard to become RN's to get this Jaded!!!!

[BADRN1992]

While I agree with the other posts, I must add my own.

I work in a rather progressive ER. The nurses have a lot of autonomy. Often times all the labs, x-rays, EKGs, CT scans have been done and the results are back, EVEN BEFORE the doctor sees the patient. I like the autonomy and the respect that we get from the ER docs - who very much act as co-workers - and often ask our advice or search for our ideas regarding patient test, meds and care.

I know that if my patient comes in with a BP 70/30 - I can start a fluid bolus without asking. Even a CHF patient, providing he's not currently in CHF, can have a 250 bolus to see if it helps the BP. I don't need to be told to give 2 baby ASA and SL NTG to a 45 y/o male with chest pain - etc... I know when I see ST elevation in 3 or more leads, I need to retavase the patient, providing there are no contraindications, so I'll get it ready before the doc even askes. You get the point.

I like that my mind is active and my experience is appreciated. Yes, we have our frequent flyers, our weekly psyc patient visits, our "my knee has been hurting for 3 months..." patients, and our share of drunks and OD's. The really sick and emergent patients, they are what keep me in the ER. The other BS, well, that just goes along with the territory.