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For nurses, what is a typical work day look like?

I am a student at Job Corps, and I am pursing a career in nursing. I would love to see what a typical day looks like for a nurse in the emergency field. #registered-nurses #healthcare #nursing

nursing registered-nurses
Thank you comment icon Apply to be a volunteer in the hospital. You can do only a few hours a week and most likely request an area of interest. This could give you a realistic view ! Lisa Fiorello BSN, RN, CCRN
Thank you comment icon Hello Kyla, This 1 1/2 hour nurse commentary video may be ain interest to you; I watched the entire video; it is streamed live that discussed various aspects with mixed discussions of NPs and floor nursing job experiences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75wKpkAfliU ; here is a series of ER nurse videos that discuss various scenarios that may interest you: (1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80TrYFkzocc (chest pain); (2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GzBKoCK3Ik (ER day); (3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvB4dyx-rVk (ER trauma RN); (4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgxF0Xm1JaY ; and (5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uIeO_zI834 ; since I have no experience in ER nursing, I had included videos for you that I hope will answer your questions now and in the future; good luck to you Sandra Hurst
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Joanne’s Answer

Depends where you work. As. Registered nurse, In a hospital setting, you would round on your patients early during the day, then administer medication, provide care and communicate with their doctors. As a nurse practitioner, you visit your patients, assess them, order medication or exams for them and communicate w/ the nurse who is caring for them what the plan is for the pt.
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Jessica’s Answer

It can vary depending on your location. If you are in a rural setting versus city ... but some parts of emergency medicine are the same. Hostipals need to be staffed 24/7, so most nurses work 3 12 hour shifts a week, either day or night shift, including holidays.

When I worked in an ER, each nurse was typically assigned either to a set of beds where patients would come and go, or to triage where you assessed patients as they come in, or charge nurse where you are in charge of the flow of the whole unit.

The good and sometims bad of ER care is that you never know what is coming next, you may have down time or you may be on your feet the whole shift.

Most time you will not work in triage or charge until you have experience. If you are caring for patients you typically bring them to a bed, perform an assessment to determine if they are stable ( if they are very sick you will need your MD and other team members quickly). You will likely start IVs, draw blood work, and you will likely assist with many procedures. (Sutures, pelvic exams, wound care, etc). You help get patients to the correct test, give discharge instructions. You also have to other team members on board social workers, transportation, dietitians, specialist , and more.

It can be an extremely frustrating and rewarding field. Best of luck.

Jessica recommends the following next steps:

Emegency room staffing
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LaMisa’s Answer

I agree with Joanne
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Romina’s Answer

It largely depends on where you work. I worked in the ER for 9 years. It was total chaos and I loved it. Whereas working in Plastic Surgery clinic was the opposite, very slow and laid back.
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Meg’s Answer

Ha! There is no typical day in emergency nursing! A lot of it will depend on what type of hospital you are working at- trauma unit? Small community hospital? Teaching hospital? But the bottom line is where ever you work you never know what is going to walk through the door. Also, you can be pretty sure you might be dealing with people on the worst day of their lives so lot's of emotions at play. It is usually fast paced but with some downtime. The worst aspect I felt about working ers is you didn't get to make a strong connection with family/patient even though in some cases you just saved their lives. You generally don't know what happens to your patient after they leave the er so that was kind of strange/sad but just part of the job!
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Megan’s Answer

Hello Romina,

In the world of nursing, no two days are ever the same, which is part of its unique charm. Your nursing career is a canvas, and you're the artist who gets to paint your own path. Even after you've made your choice, each day brings a new set of experiences and challenges.

At present, I'm working remotely as a manager of quality control and assurance for a major pharmacy distribution firm. My day kicks off with sorting through emails and gearing up for the day's meetings. I'm frequently tasked with diverse projects, ranging from reviewing and crafting documents and policies, to developing educational materials for our organization. I ensure we're always in line with regulatory standards, and I scrutinize data to enhance our quality and safety procedures.

I also lead a versatile team of clinical and non-clinical staff who monitor quality events. My role as a leader includes a variety of administrative tasks like payroll, scheduling, and auditing, but it also involves coaching, fostering career growth, and nurturing team spirit.

My nursing career may seem unconventional, but I wouldn't change it for the world. The beauty of nursing is its vast array of possibilities - you simply can't make a wrong choice!

Best of luck on your exciting journey!
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April’s Answer

Hi there! I really depends on what type of place you decide to work. As an ER nurse at a trauma center, every day was very different. We new knew what was going to coming through the ambulance bay. As a new grad, you would likely be working night shift in a hospital setting so make sure that you wrap your head around that now. I loved night shift, but the physical toll on your body of many years is hard. There is a shift differential (more money) added to your hourly pay for working night shift which is nice!
Usually at shift change, you will get report from the off going nurse and find out if your patient needs things completed. There will usually be a team of people involved in caring for the patient. The awesome thing about nursing is that you can work in so many different places doing vastly different jobs. Find what you love! If it isn't the right fit, you can try something else :)
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