Have you ever wondered what being an ED Nurse means? What skills you would need? Or what a typical day in the life would look like? Make sure you’re all caught up with Specialty Nursing: What Makes a Good ED Nurse? and Specialty Nurse Interview: Meet Jimmy, an ED Nurse! Now let’s dive in to an interview with Jordan, a real life emergency department nurse!
Name and Education
Hi! My name is Jordan and I am a bachelor prepared nurse. I graduated from California Baptist University with my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).
Where Do You Work?
I am an Emergency Department (ED), also known as Emergency Room (ER), Nurse.
How Long Have You Worked This Position?
Two years.
What Made You Want to be an ED Nurse?
It was the idea of the thrill to be working in a fast-paced environment with an ever-changing workflow that would keep me from complacency.
What are the Most Common Skills Needed to be an ED Nurse?
The ability to perform a rapid focused assessment, prioritize and perform skills that need to be done first, and anticipate what can be done to benefit the patients before it becomes a requirement.
What Personal Qualities does an ED Nurse Need to Have?
I would say the best personal trait to have is the ability to go with the flow. Some days are constantly back-to-back high acuity patients. Other days, you’re actively looking for something to do to help pass the time.
What Does a Typical Day as an ED Nurse Look Like?
This goes back to my previous answer. Some days, we have multiple ROSC’s (aka Return of Spontaneous Circulation) to COPD exacerbations to new onset epilepsy patients coming in. Other days, I’m going out of my way to ask my coworkers if I can help them with their assignment. The days are never the same and that’s what I think makes working in the ER so much fun.
What is Your Most Favorite Part About Being an ED Nurse?
The teamwork and collaboration within the unit. I love that there’s truth in saying that when times get tough, those you go through the tough times together really help bond people together and nothing proved that more than working through the covid pandemic with my teammates/coworkers.
What Should Students Looking to go into Emergency Department Nursing Know about the Field?
If anyone wants to go into the ER as their specialty, I would recommend that during nursing school, throw yourself into as many situations as possible to gain as much experience as you can. The ER is a Jack of all trades and you need to know how to handle a variety of situations before they happen and for many of us, we learn by doing so be brave, put yourself out there and learn as much as you can!
Anything Else You Wish to Share?
Whenever I precept my new hires, I always tell them to avoid getting tunnel visioned. What I mean by this is that don’t dial in on one aspect of the patient but look at the patient as a whole. Practice your assessments, look at the patient, how they’re presenting, look at their vitals and gather the story of why that patient is in your ER. Use all of these clues to help you figure out the best care plan for your patient and be able to think two steps ahead of where you’re currently at in your current treatment plan.
Thank you Jordan for your loving service to those in emergent situations!
Be sure to check out the entire Specialty Nursing Series, and follow along with this new Specialty Nurse Interview Series!
- Meet Allie, a School Nurse!
- Meet Amber Leigh, a Maternity Service Nurse!
- Meet Jimmy, an ED Nurse!
- Meet Hannah, a PICU/Peds Nurse!
- Meet Briana, a Med Surg Nurse!
- Meet Nicole, an ICU Nurse!
- Meet Theresa, a Maternal Child Nurse!
- Meet Nicole, a Peds Nurse!
- From Nursing School Straight to the ICU: Meet Rylee, a New Grad Nurse!
- From Nursing School Straight to the PICU: Meet Nahla, a New Grad Nurse!
- Meet Allison, an Oncology Nurse!
- Meet Sara, a Mental Health Nurse!