---
title: A Day In The Life of An ER Nurse Practitioner | ThriveAP
description: 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 … A Day In The Life of An ER Nurse Practitioner Read More »
---

[ThriveAP Blog ](https://provider.thriveap.com/blog)

# [A Day In The Life of An ER Nurse Practitioner | ThriveAP](https://provider.thriveap.com/blog/day-life-er-nurse-practitioner)

 Written by [Erin Tolbert, MSN, FNP-C](https://provider.thriveap.com/blog/author/erin) | Jul 13, 2012 4:00:00 AM

Check out my guest blog post on Nurse Teeny’s blog, [Makings of A Nurse](https://makingsofanurse.com).  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](https://thriveap.com/blog/night-shift-non-traditional-schedule-right-you).  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](https://thriveap.com).  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](https://thriveap.com/blog/whats-day-life-nurse-practitioner-really).

[View full post](https://provider.thriveap.com/blog/day-life-er-nurse-practitioner)

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