Er Nursing

Job Essay: E.R. Nurse

Emergency nursing is a dynamic, fast-paced field that gives you the opportunity to treat a wide range of patients with an even wider range of illnesses, conditions and traumas. ER nurses have to be able to think on their feet, work well with their teammates and be ready for just about anything.

ER nurses are highly trained in their specialty, and there are lots of certifications available. At a minimum, an ER nurse should be certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). Other certifications include Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC), Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC), Mobile Intensive Care Nurse (MICN) and Neonatal Advanced Life Support (NALS).

The stress level in the emergency department can get high at times, but ER nurses have their own unique brand of humor that helps lighten the tension. They also tend to be a close-knit group, offering each other a kind of support you just don't always see in other areas. ER folks take care of each other.

But before anyone can become an E.R. nurse they must first train in the Hospital as an RN. Registered nurses (RNs), regardless of specialty or work setting, perform basic duties that include treating patients, educating patients and the public about various medical conditions, and providing advice and emotional support to patients' family members. RNs record patients' medical histories and symptoms help to perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, operate medical machinery, administer treatment and medications, and help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation.

RNs teach patients and their families how to manage their illness or injury, including post-treatment home care needs, diet and exercise programs, and self-administration of medication and physical therapy. Some RNs also are trained to provide grief counseling to family members of critically ill patients. RNs work to promote general health by educating the public on various warning signs and symptoms of disease and where to go for help. RNs also might run general health screening or immunization clinics, blood drives, and public seminars on various conditions.

RNs can specialize in one or more patient care specialties. The most common specialties can be divided into roughly four categories--by work setting or type of treatment; disease,