LIVEALITTLE

Wow. I was an ER nurse today. I didn't do much work but I am utterly exhausted. I have the coolest preceptor ever because she involves me in everything she does, she loves to travel and she's an overachiever. I am surely going to get a good foundation training with her. I have to remember to stow some bars into my pocket though coz we didn't get to lunch until 3p. I have to remember to pee also.
The amount of paperwork and coordination with other work groups (technicians, doctors, lab) are huge. ER nurses need to think 5 steps ahead and even predict what the doctors may order. My mind was still processing the admission procedure when my preceptor discharged the patient hours later! Thank goodness we have a windows-based system because the rest of the hospital is on DOS!
I did have a funny incident today. I had to get a patient a new dinner because he did not eat fish. When I returned later with a chicken dinner, he argued with me stating that I had brought another fish dinner. Upon further inspection the dinners were surely very similiar in appearance. We dissected the dinners though and unanimously proclaimed that the fish dinner was flakier than the chicken and that both probably tasted like chicken also.
I think I will like this place. I can't wait to be a pro and know exactly what needs to be done for each patient even before they walk in the door.