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An ER nurse has a sick sense of humor. We google body images that make us fascinated; the way they can twist and turn, piece and poke are beyond our imagination. We know that a tube can pretty much enter all areas of the body.
We have to "invest" in good shoes which means it could be up to $120 a pair but when you are on your feet for 13 hours, it is a mandatory item.
We always have to find a way to make our boring scrubs a little more exciting. Funky socks, cool shoes, hair accessories or miniature crowns.
Restraints in the ED are a common item. It means you are either having some aggression issues with staff, you are altered and trying to climb out of bed, or you are intubated and we wish you to stay that way.
Yes, ER nurses get abused every day. We get cursed at for more pain medication, we get screamed at for the wait although this is rarely our fault. We have gotten physically assaulted, verbally threatened and we still continue to come back the next day.
You probably are not our first patient, but you may be our first patient that requires an uncommon procedure. We diligently seek experience from those around us so we can learn more and more each time we do something unfamiliar.
Each of us has bad days with iv's. We can get someone in the finger with a baby needle but we can't get a huge juicy vein. It just happens.
We get frustrated when you come in with a fever for an hour but don't take anything at home to see if it will go away. We don't understand why people come in with colds and want to get sicker. It is the ER where germs are ever present.
We have a million and one medications to learn and do not know them by color or size. We always would recommend you carry a list in your wallet or purse with names, dosages and directions so we can treat you more effectively.
When you see a patient who came after you go back before you it means they are a little more sick than you so keep in mind if that were your mom or dad you would want them treated first based on severity.
We take care on average 4 patients plus a psych patient. You may have no idea what we are dealing with in the next room. It may be an irate patient that is medication seeking and our patience may be thinned when we walk in your room. It may be a dying patient with loved ones waiting for that moment to come and we have remnants of tears as we enter your room to see if you need anything.
Although as many of us may say at times "I am over it", we still come back the next night because we love our job, we love what we do and we love the care we are able to give.
We may not understand exactly what you are going thru but we have empathy and we try to give the same compassionate care to you and the next and the next after that. We each have the desire to help, care and get you feeling better.
We love the support of other nurses around us when it seems like no one else can understand what we go thru. We internalize alot of our feelings and don't talk about sad nights more often then not. We feel alone when we are internalizing what we could have possibly done differently to save someone, when in reality we know that when it is your time there is nothing we can do.
We hate pediatric codes and do not desire to ever see them, but when we do, you can hear a pin drop and it seems like there is more focus and determination to do everything possible for the sweet and innocence that exists within them.
We are enraged when we deal with CPS for someone who has chosen to deal with their anger the wrong way. When we call CPS it is ALWAYS in the best interest of the child and we have no way to know what happened when they can not speak for themselves.
We usually are much more laid back at home when our loved ones get sick. We say "take a motrin" and don't think twice but when you have symptoms of others we think the worst and we suffer from anxiety until you get better and rule out a life threatening condition.
To me, nursing is the only thing I can ever imagine doing. Whether it be in the ER or one day in leadership, I am making it the best it can be day to day. I pride myself with giving the best care I can, giving a smile when I meet a patient for the first time, and using calm direction to ease frustration. It is worth every minute of lack of sleep to save just one patient. It is humbling more days than not. It takes great independence, great strength and great determination to get thru a normal day in the ER. It is not an easy life but it is the life I have chosen and I wouldn't change a thing.
We have to "invest" in good shoes which means it could be up to $120 a pair but when you are on your feet for 13 hours, it is a mandatory item.
We always have to find a way to make our boring scrubs a little more exciting. Funky socks, cool shoes, hair accessories or miniature crowns.
Restraints in the ED are a common item. It means you are either having some aggression issues with staff, you are altered and trying to climb out of bed, or you are intubated and we wish you to stay that way.
Yes, ER nurses get abused every day. We get cursed at for more pain medication, we get screamed at for the wait although this is rarely our fault. We have gotten physically assaulted, verbally threatened and we still continue to come back the next day.
You probably are not our first patient, but you may be our first patient that requires an uncommon procedure. We diligently seek experience from those around us so we can learn more and more each time we do something unfamiliar.
Each of us has bad days with iv's. We can get someone in the finger with a baby needle but we can't get a huge juicy vein. It just happens.
We get frustrated when you come in with a fever for an hour but don't take anything at home to see if it will go away. We don't understand why people come in with colds and want to get sicker. It is the ER where germs are ever present.
We have a million and one medications to learn and do not know them by color or size. We always would recommend you carry a list in your wallet or purse with names, dosages and directions so we can treat you more effectively.
When you see a patient who came after you go back before you it means they are a little more sick than you so keep in mind if that were your mom or dad you would want them treated first based on severity.
We take care on average 4 patients plus a psych patient. You may have no idea what we are dealing with in the next room. It may be an irate patient that is medication seeking and our patience may be thinned when we walk in your room. It may be a dying patient with loved ones waiting for that moment to come and we have remnants of tears as we enter your room to see if you need anything.
Although as many of us may say at times "I am over it", we still come back the next night because we love our job, we love what we do and we love the care we are able to give.
We may not understand exactly what you are going thru but we have empathy and we try to give the same compassionate care to you and the next and the next after that. We each have the desire to help, care and get you feeling better.
We love the support of other nurses around us when it seems like no one else can understand what we go thru. We internalize alot of our feelings and don't talk about sad nights more often then not. We feel alone when we are internalizing what we could have possibly done differently to save someone, when in reality we know that when it is your time there is nothing we can do.
We hate pediatric codes and do not desire to ever see them, but when we do, you can hear a pin drop and it seems like there is more focus and determination to do everything possible for the sweet and innocence that exists within them.
We are enraged when we deal with CPS for someone who has chosen to deal with their anger the wrong way. When we call CPS it is ALWAYS in the best interest of the child and we have no way to know what happened when they can not speak for themselves.
We usually are much more laid back at home when our loved ones get sick. We say "take a motrin" and don't think twice but when you have symptoms of others we think the worst and we suffer from anxiety until you get better and rule out a life threatening condition.
To me, nursing is the only thing I can ever imagine doing. Whether it be in the ER or one day in leadership, I am making it the best it can be day to day. I pride myself with giving the best care I can, giving a smile when I meet a patient for the first time, and using calm direction to ease frustration. It is worth every minute of lack of sleep to save just one patient. It is humbling more days than not. It takes great independence, great strength and great determination to get thru a normal day in the ER. It is not an easy life but it is the life I have chosen and I wouldn't change a thing.
