I don't know which kind of nurse to be... Right now I am studying to be a Nurse...

I will graduate as a nurse in May but will be pursuing the Emergency Room for my job! I was a police officer for 10 years and love the adrenaline. I think the ER will be perfect for me! I am hoping to work in the ER in Fort Collins, CO, because they offer a new grad program in ER. Wish me luck!!

I started this life out as a L&D nurse, until my children started having children. All of a sudden, while my daughter was expecting, all we delivered were premies, deformities, or still births. Well it felt like it. I switched to ER. Well honey, far removed from L&D as it could be. EXcept when a term comes in with no prenatal care and delivers in 15 minutes, or a young girl that comes in with a belly ache and didn't know she was pregnant. Delivered a 9 pound baby. Wonder what she thought all that kicking was about. The ED is either feast or famine. ICU teaches you what to do after the emergency is over. It would help with the drips that we hang in the ED. Only experience can help you when you have a farmer come in with his leg hanging by skin, or a battered baby that dies in your arms. First thing you do is get a good spiritual base, then a good knowledge base, hang on the the most experience nurse in the ER and play sponge. Soak up all she/he can teach you. Good luck.

I am from Erie, PA and currently work in an animal ER while going to school for nursing. I have not yet decided what field to go into in nursing yet. I thought I knew when I started, but the more I talk to nurses, the more unsure I am. I enjoy the animal ER. We either have a pet with a cough or a limb falling off or an eye popping out. YOu just never know what will come in that night. I realize that animal life is not often valued the same as human, but I too have held a battered pet as it died in my arms. We just had a dog in the other night that the teenage son kicked with steel toed boots until he wouldn't move anymore, just for the fun of it. Unfortunately the mother would not call the police. The pet has a diaphramatic hernia and internal bleeding. The dog is 10 years old and I really don't think he will live. THe owner opted out of surgery due to cost. At least with humans alot have insurance and can get lifesaving procedures more often. I guess I will just start out wherever I can get a job and learn as much as I can in that department until another opportunity materializes.

I am not a trauma nurse yet but can't wait until I get there. My mother passed away in a m/v accident about 10 years ago and the doctor came out and said he did all he could. Ever since then it has been a passion of mine to be in trauma, because I feel I could make a difference in someones life and help save someone's family member to keep their life unlike they were able to do for mine. I got my mother's medical record and found out they didn't do anything to save her. I was heartbroken and wonder how they sleep at night. I have a little bit of medical training with a medical assistant credential, hoping to go back to school really soon to get my paramedic license.

I am a new grad, Dec 07, and will start working in a local ER in Jefferson Parish La. Any insights or information anyone wants to share? All comments will be accepted with an open mind. I am looking forward to the fast pace in the ER to make the 12 hour days go by fast.

JonZ said:

Welcome to the new trauma nurses group! Where is everyone from and what made you decide to be a trauma nurse?

I am a cardica Intermediate Nurse-- It is really a chore to get everything done with all the things going on around you--codes and all but it

till gives a great felling of havin helped someone when you bring them back or get them well andsenfd them home.. Makes all the work  worhtwhile and with all the extra stuff they have us do ut gives us a goo feeling that we really helped someone

Hello to you all I am Tammy (RN) and Live in beautiful Lodi CA.  Yes I am stuck in LODI!!!  I have been nursing all of 4 years now.  My main location is the med-surg floor, however I often float to both ICU and ER.  What a different pace between these three floors.  I find a place in all of them really.  They say I am a good float nurse.  I still remember my first experience with an open compound fracture.  This lady came in with bones sticking out of her lower leg... I walked in...  the first words out of my mouth were.... "WOW,  that really does look like a beef bone"  LOL LOL  I was so embarassed when I realized the words had actually came out of my mouth for all to hear....  I turned around and walked back out of the trauma room.  Later the nurse who was actually in charge of the patient came over to me to let me know that the patient was deaf  and had not heard what I had said.....  I still felt foolish, but it was better knowing that the patient didn't think I was so DUH!!!!   

Hi Everyone! I am a still a baby ER nurse, just graduated in May. I was an EMT for 18 years and then a Medical Assistant/Phlebotomist for four years. When my children all left home I decided if I was going to stay in the healthcare field I would like to get paid better and spend more time with my patients than I could on the ambulance. For those just starting out I found the nurse extern/intern or nurse apprentice programs really help after graduation. If any hospital, (usually the ones that you do clinicals at) offer these programs, and there is any way you can squeeze it in, DO IT! Especially in the critical care/trauma fields, it gives you the extra experience the recruiters will jump on. Because of this extra experience I am able to travel already and gain more experience than just our local level 3 ER. As far as being in shape? I'm a grandma of 6 and keep up better than their parents (slackers!) but a marathoner I am not.

I would not trade my ER for anything . I love not knowing what is going to enter the room next.  Even with years of experience you learn a little something every day and you develope great critical thinking and assessment  skills. You also learn to communicate well or you will not survive as that is an essential part of caring and dealing with critical care, trauma pts and their families.  

i am from alabama, im taking my pre-req courses to get my RN.  I would like to work the ER, burn/truama unit, ICU, or onocology.  My grandmother was an LPN- died of a heart attack when I was little, seen the whole ordeal,--watched a man drown in a river,  my biological father died of scalding burns to his body in UAB,  performed CPR (my daughter was choking) -my mom was a total wreck--my mother died of lung cancer at home in my arms.  I've been married to a volunteer fire-fighter, engaged to a paramedic/full time fireman..... guess I got an itch for the action.....

hiya, I was a trauma nurse for 20 years and loved it. I worked in Florida, Texas and Michigan. I guess you can say I'm a trauma junkie. Teresa

Well wishes to you as you move forward in accomplishing your goals!