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What are the best and worst parts of being a trauma nurse?

I want to know what to expect if I am going into this field. I feel like it's really emotionally and mentally taxing, and I don't know if I could hack it. #trauma-nursing #nurse #nursing #emergency-medicine

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Laura’s Answer

Hey Jocelyn! I think your concern is one that many healthcare professionals share, especially in the more emotionally taxing specialties.


The best parts: 1) Variety! From the patients to the complaints, every day is different. In the ER you see everything from upper respiratory infections to penetrating traumas. You won’t see just traumas which is good because that would burn you out. 2) It gives you an appreciation for life. Seeing the worst that can happen makes you remember to cherish the good things in your life. 3) You typically only work three 12 hour shifts a week in the ER. 4) It’s exhilarating! Strange to say but trauma junkies thrive on the energy of not knowing what’s going to roll through the door or exactly how bad it’s going to be. It’s a total rush when a trauma comes in and the whole team works together to save a life. Trauma teams are usually really efficient and work smoothly together and it’s an amazing feeling to be a part of it. 5) You get to make a difference in people’s lives every day.


The worst parts: 1) It is indeed, emotionally and physically draining and can be very stressful and overwhelming at times. You see the worst days of people’s lives and the worst things that people can do to each other. You will never forget some of the things you see. 2) You will have to work holidays. ERs are 24/7/365. 3) Your shift will likely run over. That’s just the way it is. 4) The people you’re trying to help will not always appreciate it and sometimes they can be verbally or even physically abusive. 5) Possible exposure to contagious diseases is high.


If trauma is your passion the bad parts will be tolerable and the good parts will outweigh them. I think a teaching hospital is the best place for a new grad to start. They provide the best environment to learn and always have resources to turn to for help. I worked at one of the busiest trauma centers in the nation and it was academic (Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta) and I was never made to feel stupid for asking a question. Wherever you go you will always have a team that’s experiencing the same highs and lows you are and it bonds you together.


Best of luck! Follow your passion!

Laura recommends the following next steps:

Shadow a trauma RN.
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Bradley’s Answer

The best part of trauma nursing is your co-workers and punching the time clock to go home. Once the newness wares off, the excitement, all you see is a lot of hurt people. Some people you can help and some you cannot. I have had some patients come in the ED having a MI (heart attack), do what we are trained to do, get them to the Cath Lab quickly and prepared and they are fine within forty five minutes or less. Basically they live. Then there are the others that come in with a MI, work on the patients for up to one hour and they don't live. With this you have 2-3 techs standing in line waiting to do heart compression, one will get tired then the next one steps up. You have respiratory in the room getting the member on a ventilator. You have radiology waiting to get xrays. Also you will have 2-3 nurses trying to get an IV started, pushing meds and hooking up the defibrillator. One doctor choregraphing this trauma situation with a scribe typing everything that was said and done. This can go on for hours depending on the situation and the patient does not make it. While all this is going on in your room you have co workers taking care of your other three rooms so you don't get behind. That's why you find great joy in hitting the time clock to go home when working like this for 12 hours straight.
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Richard W’s Answer

This is a great question because it takes a special person to be a trauma nurse. When you work as a team the team will learn your best skills and assets, and the team will assign you to either a task or a goal, depending on how large the team is. For example, I have worked in very large teaching and academic emergency departments as a trauma nurse, and in some of those scenarios you may simply be assigned one function, and it's your job to get in and out of the trauma, doing your thing, and then stand out of the way as the team accomplishes each assignment. A better example: We know a trauma is coming in by ambulance, the team leader assigns me the person's left leg, before even seeing the patient. The patient arrives, I'm all over that leg, I own it and it's mine to do the best possible job for the patient, under the direction of the team leader, or physician. If there is nothing wrong with my assignment, I'm out of the way and either off to other patients, or standing by. In a smaller team setting it's very possible to own the entire patient, to determine what is wrong and what is right, and what is the most important action for the patient. By these examples you can guess that the best training that you can get will be where a large team is available - by learning from the best organized you can take that with you in your career and know that you have a solid background. For me, the hardest part was changing from the stoic guy who was routinely assigned to pediatric traumas because he could handle anything, to the new father who had a very difficult time holding back his emotions during pediatric traumas. A late learning for me in this regard was the value of critical stress debriefing. Make sure the organization you work for has an established critical stress debriefing program. If they don't you may want to consider being the person who establishes it; being able to express your feelings and emotions soon after a traumatic experience, and having the support of your peers, is extremely valuable to your well being. Would I do it all over (make the choice to be a trauma nurse) again? Absolutely!
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