Backbones of Medicine: What is an ER Nurse?
- Simran Kandola
- May 11, 2024
- 2 min read
Ever broken a bone or gotten stitches? Chances are an ER Nurse helped you with that.
ER Nurses are one of the many backbones in the hospital, from stabilizing patients to setting broken bones. What exactly is a “ER Nurse” though and how do they differ from regular nurses?
An Emergency room nurse is a professional who deals with severe life threatening cases. While a lot of nursing paths allow you to deal with specific age groups, ER nurses deal with everyone from infants to teens, even elderly.
Most nurses have a routine to follow before proceeding with treatment, they ask questions, assess you, etc... Emergency nurses don’t have that privilege, because their field deals with severe injuries that need to be attended to immediately. An ER nurse must identify the injury, determine the severity, and then treat all simultaneously.
ER Nurses are always in need and if this career path interests you, let's get into how exactly you become one. As most professions it starts with a degree, more specifically a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). In canada it is required to then apply for a provincial license and then take the National Council Leisure exam (NCLEX).
Once you’re licensed you can start building experience by working in urgent care clinics and emergency rooms, until you’ve gotten the position you want. After being employed as a ER Nurse, it's a good idea to get board certified. However, remember, to get board certified you must have at least 1,950 hours of experience! In the US the certification specialty exam is administered by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN), in Canada the Canadian Nurses Association does the Emergency Nurse Canada certification (ECN). After that you are officially an ER Nurse!
Citations:
What does an ER nurse do?. GCU. (n.d.).
https://www.gcu.edu/blog/nursing-healthcare/what-does-er-nurse-do
How to become an ER nurse (requirements and skills) | Indeed.com canada. (n.d.).
https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-an-er-nurse
What is an ER nurse?. Western Governors University. (2024, January 8).
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