Like most healthcare careers, emergency nursing is different from what you usually see in movies or TV. With the fast-paced environment of a medical facility’s emergency department, it can be easy to get lost in the chaos. That said, nurses are usually the first point of contact for patients who visit the emergency room.
They are front-line warriors who have to deal with sick or injured individuals while waiting for their doctors to come. Keeping this in mind, nurses sooner or later will run into patient emergencies and will have to make split-second decisions to handle life and death situations. Not to mention, these emergencies can get the better of the most experienced and skilled nurses.
Although you’ll learn many skills while going to a nursing school to handle emergencies, some emergency nursing skills will only come with experience. That said, whether you’re just entering a career in emergency room nursing or you’re already a long-term ER nurse, you can follow a few tips to perform your duties more effectively during emergencies. Some of these tips are listed down below;
Improve your overall nursing skills.
According to research, nurses who hold a degree tend to have better overall patient outcomes. However, suppose you are looking to improve your general nursing skills, including dealing with emergencies. In that case, there is no better way to do that than to earn further education in the nursing field.
It includes pursuing advanced certifications and degrees, acquiring permits and licenses, or volunteering. For example, you can enroll in one of the many masters of nursing online programs available these days while volunteering as an emergency nurse at your local Veteran’s healthcare center.
Doing so will allow you to brush up on your emergency nursing skills alongside obtaining much-needed working experience, allowing you to deal with emergencies a lot better.
Don’t shy away from relying on your colleagues.
There is an age-old saying in the healthcare world that your colleagues are your best resources. So, it is a no-brainer to ask for their help when facing emergencies. It is especially the case for nurses working in the emergency department.
So, if you’re stuck in a tricky situation, don’t insist on handling everything yourself. Instead, swallow your pride and ask for your colleagues’ help. After all, a patient’s life and health are more important here.
So, whether you’re dealing with six patients at once or have a single patient that requires multiple interventions, an extra pair of hands will produce a better patient outcome. After all, it is wise to consult with other professionals before making any patient care decision.
Know what to do after the emergency is over.
After a medical emergency has passed, that doesn’t mean you can rest. There is still a lot of work to be done. Your mental health is vital as it will allow you to keep performing at your best. A medical emergency will take a lot out of you physically as well as psychologically. So, you need to sit down and gather yourself before you move on to your next patient.
That said, the best way to do such a thing is to go to the break room, lay down for thirty seconds, and take a few deep breaths. In the end, it is all about finding what works best for you. Doing so will allow you to prepare yourself to deal with the potential onslaught of upcoming patients in the emergency room.
Ask questions from your patients.
It would be best if you were comfortable asking questions from your patients. After all, no two emergency rooms will work the same way, and you will most definitely encounter patients with various chronic and acute conditions on a day-to-day basis.
In addition, you’ll have to deal with many illnesses, symptoms, laboratory results that you might have never seen before. Thus, communicating with your patients and asking questions is imperative.
That said, patients might sway away from what’s important and might start talking about their family or pets. But, remember, they are more sacred than you as they are the ones experiencing the medical emergency. So, it is your duty as an ER nurse to comfort them and ask them to look at the bigger picture, which is their health.
Have a game plan.
Having a game plan has two benefits. Number one, it will keep you focused on your patients’ healthcare needs. It will provide you a step-by-step guide on what to do during an emergency, keeping you level-headed and calm. After all, you have a well-developed plan you can always rely on!
So, if your patient is entering cardiac arrest or has blocked airways, writing a plan that will guide you on what to do during particular medical emergencies will allow you to perform your duties a whole lot better, improving patient outcomes. That said, do not cut any corners while developing a plan. In the end, speed doesn’t matter. What matters is that you follow the proper guidelines.
Learn to prioritize.
One of the essential skills that an emergency nurse must possess is the ability to prioritize. In act, even when your waiting room is overcrowded with patients and there are numerous critically ill ones present, prioritizing patients is a must. That said, doing so might seem like an uphill task, especially for new ER nurses.
However, prioritizing patients will become easier when you hone your clinical judgment skill and learn more about signs of deterioration. In addition, many medical facilities will have protocols and policies in place that will allow you to identify which patient requires medical attention quickly.
Conclusion.
Being a good nurse, regardless of your specialty, is an art. After all, working in the ER is a tough and challenging task, and you need to give everything you have to ensure your patients recover quickly! With every shift, emergency nurses leave an impact by using their good clinical judgment, expertise while practicing the art of caring.