What are some of the ups and downs of being a emergency nurse?

I have a friend who's a nurse at the PICU and I asked her this exact question. Here's what she told me:

Emergency Nurses have to be incredibly flexible and fast on their feet.
They have to be able to stand up for themselves in a high stress environment.
You'll be working with the best of the best. In the ER, no mistakes can be made when lives are at risk.
Everyday is different and you'll have to be on the top of your knowledge to get through it.
"Intense" is the word to describe the ER.
You can interact directly with the patients and make their, otherwise horrific, day.
You gain an extreme appreciation for your life and your friends and your family.

Hope this helps!

Downs = hours (24/7 service) dangers (i.e. patients are shot and the shooter follows them in, or they themselves are high or violent, etc) can be sad (those times you cannot save people, especially if their loved ones are there :-(
Ups = it's exciting, fast paced, you are on the front lines, you can actively/directly save lives on a daily basis, interacting with people who are so afraid or in pain etc and being the one who makes it better, lots of jobs