Nursing work at the ER
Nursing work at the Emergency Room (ER)
The interviewee is Eric Johnson, a Registered Nurse (RN) in the Emergency Room (ER) of Toledo Hospital. He has been an ER RN for seven (7) years now. Scheduling the interview with him was challenging, as nurses work many hours, and Eric managed to allot a small amount of time for the interview because the interviewer is his friend.
What kind of education/certification/experience does the nurse have?
Nursing work in the ER is a specialization by itself. Thus, ER nurses are given continuous education, certification to different areas of nursing expertise specific to ER work, and the experience itself in the ER is worthy enough for a nurse to be experienced in different aspects of technical/medical hospital work. Formally, the interviewee has been trained in basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, neonatal advanced life support, pediatric advanced life support, intravenous therapy, training for emergency room. Hospital work itself is a continuing education for ER RNs: they have a monthly lecture and two (2) weeks of hands-on duty.
What kind of orientation or mentorship did the nurse receive in transition to his role as an RN?
The interviewee was hired specifically as an ER nurse. Thus, he did not undergo a transition; however, the process in the hospital he works in is that for nurses who are already in a ward of...
The one-year period enables the nurses to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills needed in ER nurses. This process is actually a reflection of how ER nurses need to be more knowledgeable and skilled because of the critical role that they play in delivering healthcare service in the shortest period of time and/or in the direst circumstances.
What are the responsibilities of the nurse in his current position? Who does he work as a part of their multidisciplinary health team?
ER nurses are expected to know a multitude of tasks, which includes ward work and ER work, and can range from administrative/managerial to technical. The interviewee's responsibilities include patient assessment, triage, carrying out of doctor's orders, independent nursing care, endorsement to the ward, coordinating with co-ER staff and doctors in case a patient needs to be transferred to another medical institution. The interviewee emphasized the importance of the last responsibility mentioned, which was coordination among co-ER staff -- that is, other ER nurses and doctors. It is in this last responsibility that the interviewee realizes the criticality of his work as an ER nurse. If not properly managed or coordinated, ER patients suffer the consequences, and the interviewee thinks that he has failed his role as an ER nurse whenever this kind of incident…
