I used to work in the Emergency Room and here is what I learned
I worked in the Emergency Room for 9 years. Yes, 9 years!!!
I loved it. All of it, from the good days to the meh days to the "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad" days. Only thing I didn't really care for were the workings of the weekends and holidays. I'm all for spending time with friends and family during those times.
I was a PCT (Patient Care Tech aka Nurses assistant). Most days it was hard work. Hard from walking anywhere from 7-14 miles in one 12 hour shift, to having patients and/or family members cuss you out, to being assaulted in some form or fashion in other ways, to trying your hardest to do CPR on someone in order to bring them back from the brink of death.
Most times that we did CPR, our patient(s) did not make it. It weighs down on you..a lot. One thing I learned is that you have to wire yourself with an on/off switch. Meaning, you have to switch your emotions OFF during things like a code or when you're trying to restrain someone to the bed. You have to switch them OFF when you go and talk to these families of patients your team just declared legally deceased.
Sometimes, it's good to go and hide and switch them ON and have a good cry. Or even go and talk to someone who's been there a while or a charge nurse and just discuss the outcome and get a different perspective on the whole situation. And a have a good cry then too.
One thing that is hard to keep from happening is the hardening of your heart.
I say that it's hard because, for me, I had a parent who committed suicide. But also it was because I saw a lot of the same people coming in and out day in and day out wanting the same things all the time. My heart hardened because people cussed me out or tried to hit me or hurt me in some form or fashion. In order to protect myself I had to have a hard heart.
You also learn to walk away. But a lot of people develop bad coping mechanisms. Like drinking. Not saying ALL people develop that, but some do. Some hurt their backs from whatever reason(s). Then they get pills. Some wind up with a pill problem, unfortunately. Not all will though.
Working in the ER is rewarding. Rewarding in the sense that no matter what, you have tried your best to help someone. Weather that be helping a lady who mistakenly came into your ER with an imminent delivery of her baby and you help her bring it into the world, or you helped someone who was very sick make it thru another day, or you tried your hardest, along with your team, to bring someone back. Always take that with you. You tried your hardest. That's really all you CAN do...try. I learned that many times over.
It's hard, yet rewarding, the ER is.
I have SOOOO many stories that I can share, but still feel like I can't without breaking HIPAA.
I loved it. All of it, from the good days to the meh days to the "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad" days. Only thing I didn't really care for were the workings of the weekends and holidays. I'm all for spending time with friends and family during those times.
I was a PCT (Patient Care Tech aka Nurses assistant). Most days it was hard work. Hard from walking anywhere from 7-14 miles in one 12 hour shift, to having patients and/or family members cuss you out, to being assaulted in some form or fashion in other ways, to trying your hardest to do CPR on someone in order to bring them back from the brink of death.
Most times that we did CPR, our patient(s) did not make it. It weighs down on you..a lot. One thing I learned is that you have to wire yourself with an on/off switch. Meaning, you have to switch your emotions OFF during things like a code or when you're trying to restrain someone to the bed. You have to switch them OFF when you go and talk to these families of patients your team just declared legally deceased.
Sometimes, it's good to go and hide and switch them ON and have a good cry. Or even go and talk to someone who's been there a while or a charge nurse and just discuss the outcome and get a different perspective on the whole situation. And a have a good cry then too.
One thing that is hard to keep from happening is the hardening of your heart.
I say that it's hard because, for me, I had a parent who committed suicide. But also it was because I saw a lot of the same people coming in and out day in and day out wanting the same things all the time. My heart hardened because people cussed me out or tried to hit me or hurt me in some form or fashion. In order to protect myself I had to have a hard heart.
You also learn to walk away. But a lot of people develop bad coping mechanisms. Like drinking. Not saying ALL people develop that, but some do. Some hurt their backs from whatever reason(s). Then they get pills. Some wind up with a pill problem, unfortunately. Not all will though.
Working in the ER is rewarding. Rewarding in the sense that no matter what, you have tried your best to help someone. Weather that be helping a lady who mistakenly came into your ER with an imminent delivery of her baby and you help her bring it into the world, or you helped someone who was very sick make it thru another day, or you tried your hardest, along with your team, to bring someone back. Always take that with you. You tried your hardest. That's really all you CAN do...try. I learned that many times over.
It's hard, yet rewarding, the ER is.
I have SOOOO many stories that I can share, but still feel like I can't without breaking HIPAA.
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