What is an ER nurse and what do they do? An ER nurse works in emergency rooms where they assess and treat patients experiencing severe or life-threatening medical conditions. An emergency nurse must be able to think quickly on their feet and work well in high-pressure situations.
Pursuing a career in nursing is the first of many career decisions you’ll make. You must also consider which nursing specialty suits you best, as there are dozens to choose from. Of course, you don’t need to choose a specialty right away. In nursing school, you’ll complete clinical rotations at healthcare facilities in various specialties, helping you decide where you’d like to work after obtaining your license.
At Felician University, our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program enables students to explore various nursing specialties throughout their education. Our curriculum prepares students for their future careers by combining nursing coursework with hands-on learning experiences, such as nursing labs and clinical rotations. In as few as 16 months, you can earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and launch your nursing career.
If you are quick on your feet and thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments, a career in emergency room (ER) nursing is worth considering. Learn more about the ER nurse job description below and consider whether becoming an ER nurse is right for you.
What Is an ER Nurse?
As the job title implies, these nurses work in emergency departments, which can be standalone or attached to hospitals. Working in an ER is not right for every nurse. ER nurses must be prepared to treat many patients at once, all experiencing conditions of varying severity and complexity. The career is ideal for those who enjoy a fast-paced work environment and managing complex and challenging clinical situations.
ER Nurse Duties: What Do They Do?
Before deciding whether this nursing specialty is right for you, it’s helpful to consider what a typical ER RN job description looks like. Below, explore the core responsibilities and requirements of this position and become familiar with the common medical emergencies these nurses handle.
Core Responsibilities of an ER Nurse
One of the exciting aspects of choosing this particular nursing specialty is that no two shifts are alike. Each day brings fresh challenges and new patients to work with. The core responsibilities of an emergency room nurse typically include the following:
- Triage patients (determine who needs to be seen first based on the severity of the medical condition)
- Assess patients
- Review medical histories
- Maintain electronic health records (EHRs)
- Assist with diagnostic tests
- Operate advanced medical equipment
- Administer medications, insert IV lines and perform other treatments
- Perform wound care
- Discharge stable patients
- Deliver patient and family caregiver education
Although an ER nurse must be prepared to handle any medical emergency, certain medical emergencies will be more common depending on the healthcare facility’s location. For example, an emergency department located in a rural area may see more accidents with farming equipment, while an ER in an urban area may see more car accident patients.
Curious to learn about more nursing specialties? Explore critical care nursing here.
Common Conditions Emergency Room Nurses Treat
While urgent care facilities generally handle urgent but not life-threatening medical conditions (such as sprains), emergency rooms treat patients with severe and potentially life-threatening medical emergencies. A nurse in this setting must be prepared to tackle any nursing challenge, from injuries caused by accidents or acts of violence to major cardiac trouble and severe illnesses.
The following are some of the most common conditions and symptoms an emergency room nurse may deal with:
- Chest pain that may be indicative of a heart attack
- Acute abdominal pain
- Severe bleeding
- Fractures
- Severe infections
- Stroke
- Seizures
- Miscarriage
- High fevers
- Loss of consciousness
Collaboration in Nursing in a High-Pressure Environment
If you decide that being an ER nurse might be right for you, you must be committed to working collaboratively with other members of the ER team. Collaborative care is essential for promoting patient safety, reducing the risk of medical mistakes and improving patient outcomes. The ER is a high-pressure environment, but when people work together, they can overcome any challenge.
Is It Hard to Be an Emergency Department Nurse?
ER nursing is undoubtedly one of the more challenging nursing specialties due to the fast-paced nature of the job, requiring nurses to rapidly assess and stabilize patients with life-threatening medical conditions. As a nurse in the ER, you must be able to calmly make evidence-based clinical decisions under pressure. If you thrive on challenges such as these, this nursing specialty may be a great choice for you.
What Skills Are Required for an Emergency Nurse?
Like other nursing specialties, emergency nursing requires a blend of hard (technical) and soft skills. They include the following:
Hard Skills
Some of the hard skills you’ll likely find in an ER nurse job description include the following:
- Patient assessments and triage
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
- Acute care
- IV insertion
- Blood draws
- Patient and family caregiver education
Soft Skills
An emergency nurse can also benefit from a range of soft skills, including the following:
- Emotional resilience
- Communication skills
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Time management
- Flexibility
- Composure under stress
- Physical stamina
- Interpersonal skills
How Felician University’s ABSN Program Prepares You for ER Nursing
If you’re interested in pursuing a nursing career in the emergency department, Felician University can provide a pathway for achieving it. If you have prior non-nursing education, such as a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 60 college credits, you may be eligible to earn your nursing degree on an accelerated timeline.
At Felician, our ABSN program leverages your educational history, allowing you to graduate in as few as 16 months. Students have the option between two course delivery modalities: a hybrid program in Parsippany, New Jersey, that combines online coursework with in-person labs and clinicals or our entirely on-ground program in Rutherford, New Jersey.
Community health nursing can be a good fit for effective advocates who wish to connect with underserved populations.
What You’ll Learn in the ABSN Program
The curriculum for both our ABSN programs prepares you to confidently sit for the NCLEX-RN® and enter the workforce as a practice-ready nurse. You’ll take courses in health assessment, pharmacology, adult nursing, mental health nursing and many others.
Whether you take coursework online or in person, you’ll complete nursing skills labs and simulation (sim) labs at our state-of-the-art Nursing Resource and Simulation Center. During your skills labs, you’ll learn to perform a wide range of clinical tasks, from head-to-toe assessments to nasogastric intubation and wound care.
In sim labs, you’ll work on high-tech medical manikins that simulate the responses of real patients. Within this realistic setting, you and your lab cohort will work through various patient care scenarios, where you practice applying the nursing process to patient care. This is the same nursing process you’ll use as a future ER nurse handling various medical emergencies.
Real-World Experiences in Emergency Nursing
Clinical rotations are another important component of our nursing school curriculum. For your clinicals, you’ll be placed within the Atlantic Health System and other leading healthcare providers to deliver direct patient care under the watchful eye of your nursing instructors and preceptors. These experiences enable you to develop your nursing skills and bedside manner so you can graduate ready to get to work.
They also offer an opportunity to start building your professional network as a nursing student. You will work alongside professional healthcare staff and have the chance to forge connections and learn from their experience.
Are You Ready for an Exciting Future in Nursing?
Established in 1942, Felician University is a nonprofit school committed to delivering quality nursing education that effectively prepares you to become a confident, practice-ready nurse. With small class sizes and a positive, supportive learning environment, you can thrive at Felician.
Contact a dedicated admissions counselor today to discover if you are eligible to apply to our ABSN program. With no waitlists and multiple start dates each year, you could get started sooner than you’d think.