Emergency nurses (ED/ER) perform some of the same activities as other nurses but do so in the fast-paced emergency environment. Most care begins with the triage nurse, who takes the patient’s history and vital signs and then decides whether the patient is urgent, emergent, or can wait to be seen by the medical team.
Once patients are brought inside the ED/ER, another emergency nurse (ED/ER) takes over. This nurse will be the one to deliver direct care. They continue with a physical exam, re-check vital signs, possibly start IVs, and draw lab work even before the physician sees the patient.
If the patient is having a life-threatening event, the emergency nurse (ED/ER) begins giving medication, setting up oxygen, and any equipment that may be needed, e.g., the crash cart. They alert the medical team to urgently evaluate the patient. Afterward, they monitor the patient’s vital signs and lab results to report any changes. These are the patients that will be admitted to the hospital.
Less acute patients receive care depending on diagnosis to improve their status so that they may return home. This may involve breathing treatments, IV fluids, IV antibiotics, pain medication, or other physical exams to determine what is causing their problem.
Emergency nurses (ED/ER) provide discharge teaching and instructions to those patients discharged and follow-up care instructions.
