Introduction
This past year I have mentored in an Emergency Room at Northeast Georgia Medical and this website was made to share those experiences and what I learned through the year. My goal is to help you understand the misconceptions people have about the ER and how to get rid of them. Throughout, you will find my research, about me, and how to get in contact with me if you have any questions.
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My Essential Question
How can I express the common misconceptions given to the Emergency Department and deconstruct the view popularity held?
The Emergency Room
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The Top 6 Misconceptions about the ER:
1. The emergency room is based on a first come, first serve basis. Even though you may have walked in the doors before them, if they are deemed a higher acuity they will be taken in before you because they are worse off than you.
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"Different people sitting in a waiting room of a hospital." 123RF Stock Photos. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2017.
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"Why are Primary Care Physicians Reluctant to Refer to Hospice?" Hospice Care. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2017.
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2. The emergency room takes care of things just like your primary care physician. As I touched on earlier the emergency room was originally designed to be for emergencies only, but in the world we live in today, people just don’t understand that anymore.
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3. In the emergency room, the nurses are meant to be at your beck and call at all times. This one is important, especially to the nurses. We may not always be back to check on you for a while, but the majority of the time it is because another patient has been admitted to us that needs our attention right away because of their injuries. Another reason it might take a little longer for us to come back is because we may not have all of the labs back necessary to tell you the route the doctor is planning on taking. When we send your blood or urine to the lab it is sent to another part of the hospital to be tested and all we can do is wait for the results.
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Giordano, Lizz. "What it takes to be a trauma nurse in Seattle | Provided By Advertising Publications." The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company, 05 May 2017. Web. 10 May 2017.
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"Trauma Center Levels Explained." Trauma Center Levels Explained - American Trauma Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2017.
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4. The emergency room is meant for any kind of trauma that walks through the door. I have had the privilege to work partly in a level two trauma hospital and there are very few traumas that cannot be solved in the hospital. The biggest trauma hospital we have here in Georgia is Grady Memorial Hospital. They have the equipment and can handle any trauma that comes their way. The majority of hospitals are not trauma centers though, which means if the level of your acuity is too high, then you will have to be transferred to a trauma center to have your wounds treated with the equipment you need.
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5. The emergency room is full of attractive doctors and nurses who are always in relationships with each other. This is the direct work of Hollywood that people think this. As shows are released you always have to have some sort of relationship drama so naturally the nurses and doctors are the ones who fall victim to it. The ER is a job just like every other. You come dressed in your work attire, do your job, and home. The majority of the doctors and nurses on the staff are already married and have no interest in one another.
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"Medical Comedy Tv Shows." Medical Comedy Tv Shows Related Keywords & Suggestions - Medical Comedy Tv Shows Long Tail Keywords. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2017.
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"How to choose the right words when charting | Scrubs - The Leading Lifestyle Nursing Magazine Featuring Inspirational and Informational Nursing Articles." Scrubs Magazine. N.p., 11 Jan. 2010. Web. 10 May 2017.
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6. The job of an emergency nurse is strictly to directly take of their patients at all times. Although that is true, it is also our responsibility to chart down everything that is happening with our patients and to give all medication that the doctors order. I have already explained this one immensely and that is because I believe this is the most important misconception there is about emergency room nursing.
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