A Day In The Life of An ER Nurse Practitioner

Check out my guest blog post on Nurse Teeny’s blog, Makings of A Nurse.  Nurse Teeny has an excellent blog where she documents her nursing experiences.  She is planning to pursue a nurse practitioner degree in the near future.

A Day In The Life of An ER Nurse Practitioner

Working in the ER, my shifts are usually at odd hours.  Today I work from 6pm to 2am which I actually enjoy as it leaves the morning and afternoon free.  I spend an hour at the gym, return home to have breakfast and do a few chores around the house.  I write a blog entry for ThriveAP.  Then, I meet a friend for lunch, read a book on my porch and get ready for work.  Already a great day and my shift at the hospital hasn’t even started.

I arrive at work a few minutes early and immediately start seeing patients.  The ER seems to be constantly busy.  My first patient is a 40 year old male with abdominal pain.  I pick up his chart, go into the rom and observe him writhing in pain.  Kidney stones.  After two years in the ER I can usually diagnose them within seconds.  I order him pain medication along with a CT scan and some lab work to verify my initial diagnosis.

My next patient is a 25 year old female involved in a rollover MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident).  She is complaining of right wrist pain.  I remove the rudimentary splint the paramedics have placed to examen her wrist more closely.  Her wrist is swollen, bruised and deformed.  I suspect a fracture and order pain medications and an X-Ray.

Then, I move on to my third patient, a 42 year old male who was doing construction on his home and has gotten a nail stuck in his index finger.  He was unable to remove the nail on his own and suspects it is in the bone.  I order an X-Ray to confirm his suspicions and find they are correct.  I then attempt to remove the nail by pulling it with hemostats.  It is stuck so far into the bone, I have to enlist the help of a male physician .  After successfully removing the nail, I write the patient a script for antibiotics, update his tetanus vaccine and send him home with strict instructions to return immediately if signs of infection develop.

In the ER, I never know what each day will bring.  I see patients with chest pain, abdominal pain and orthopedic problems.  I do procedures such as drain abscesses and suture lacerations.  I enjoy the variety and challenges my job provides.  I learn new things everyday.  I love my job and highly recommend the nurse practitioner career.