What to expect as an emergency nurse

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What to Expect as an Emergency Nurse Emergency nurses treat patients in the most critical conditions relating to injuries or trauma. ER nurses, or emergency room nurses, quickly recognize different lifethreatening problems and are well-trained to deal with them. The emergency room is a highly stressful department, and working in such a setting requires agility, assessment skills, and an ability to function. Who Gets Treated in an Emergency Room? The range of patients arriving in emergency rooms can vary widely. From cardiac arrest patients, to a person suffering from an earache or minor organ trauma, the emergency room is always unpredictable. The patients coming into the emergency room requires accurate and quick assessments, along with emergency treatment to deal with their problem as soon as possible. What is the Work Environment Like in the ER? The emergency room is often filled with expensive technological equipment that are used to treat various disorders. This is the only department in the hospital that is rarely quiet. While patient privacy is paramount, some emergency rooms have treatment areas that are curtained off, whereas other areas have more private treatment locations. As a nurse, you need to stay on your toes while on duty. What Do ER Nurses Do? Nurses in the emergency room need to take care of patients in emergency situations, which sometimes involves patients that have serious injuries or trauma. Emergency nurses are trained to solve and respond well to various life-threatening problems on the spot. They should be ready to face new emergencies every day, and stay alert throughout the entirety of their shift. Emergency nurses are responsible for monitoring vital signs for every patient, such as checking blood pressure, heart rate, pain levels, and temperature. After an ER nurse has collected all the vital information of the patient, he or she needs to develop an immediate care plan. An appropriate type of care is administered after looking into the injuries of the patient. An emergency nurse is also responsible for administering medicines to patients. As an emergency nurse, you will be expected to follow 5 rights of safety:   

Right patient Right dose Right medication


 

Right method Right time

After administering care, the nurse needs to communicate the condition of the patient to the doctor. Any new sign and symptom of pain, nausea, or weakness needs to be reported to the doctor immediately. Where Do Emergency Nurses Work? Emergency nurses can work at a variety of locations; however, they are seen working in the emergency care front lines. Emergency room nurses can also become qualified to work as transport nurses on an ambulance, helicopter, and airplane. Being an emergency room nurse does not come easy, as your schedule is likely to change every day. The emergency room is a high energy, fast paced environment where the right decisions are required to be made without thinking twice. So, if you are thinking about a career as an emergency room nurse, prepare yourself on what to expect. You need to make quick decisions, work with patients suffering from trauma, injuries, and illnesses, and remain level-headed and calm during emergency situations.

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