Nursing has it all — drama, excitement, joy and sometimes tragedy. If you want to become a nurse, you must undergo stringent education to handle the life-and-death situations you will encounter in the profession, and some of the most critical medical occurrences happen in the emergency room (ER).
Flexible degree options like the online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program from The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) prepare you with the skills, knowledge and resilience to excel in emergency environments. Nurses who work in the emergency department (ED) face daily challenges and need to be prepared for the unexpected as they provide optimal patient care.
Do You Have What It Takes to Be an ER Nurse?
You may decide that you want to pursue a BSN but don’t yet know what kind of nurse you want to be. If you are thinking about becoming an ER nurse, you must meet certain criteria. This type of nursing is not for the fainthearted. ER nurses have a significant impact on patients and their families. The following are some traits and skills of an ER nurse:
- Good-natured
- Patient-focused
- Quick-thinking
- Accurate
- Multitasker
- Team player
- Observant
- Decisive
- High-energy
- Unflappable
- Not squeamish
What Does an ER Nurse Do?
ER nurses are part of a team, working with physicians, technicians and other healthcare professionals in critical care settings. They provide evidence-based care to individuals with medical conditions and injuries, which are often the result of trauma.
Nurses in the ER assess and monitor the patients’ condition and administer care. The duties of an ER nurse may include the following:
- Cleaning lacerations
- Dispensing medications
- Inserting intravenous (IV) catheters
- Operating medical equipment
- Performing complex procedures
- Taking blood samples
When patients arrive at the ER, nurses triage them by noting their symptoms and recording a medical history. They then prioritize the patient based on this assessment.
For example, patients who are unconscious or not breathing take priority. Patients with urgent symptoms like headache, confusion and stiff neck — signs of encephalitis or meningitis — take precedence over those with a sore throat or back pain. If the patient is in unstable condition, the first thing an ER nurse does is to work to stabilize the patient before beginning treatment.
How Do ER Nurses Stabilize Patients?
Emergency department nurses must be able to perform a number of medical procedures. For patients in distress, nurses may have to assist in the following procedures:
- Administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- Delivering a baby
- Administering first aid
- Intubation
- Setting a broken bone
- Suturing
- Performing a tracheotomy
- Blood transfusions
What Other Ways Do ER Nurses Help Patients?
Many patients are often afraid or unsure of how to follow up on their healthcare once they leave the ER. Nurses support patients by giving them and their families an after-care treatment plan and other guidance. In addition to providing and coordinating patient care, ER nurses educate patients about health concerns such as:
- Alcohol and drug abuse
- Bicycle and motorcycle helmet safety
- Gun safety
- Domestic violence prevention
- Safety rules for child passengers
What Kinds of Medical Emergencies Do Nurses See in the ER?
Patients come to the ER for a variety of illnesses and injuries that require immediate attention. Nurses may come into contact with patients who have sustained injuries in an accident or due to violent crime. During a busy ER shift, nurses may be faced with patients suffering from the following:
- Broken bone
- Dangerously high fever
- Drug overdose
- Gunshot
- Heart attack
- Poisoning
- Stab wound
- Stroke
What Types of Patients Do ER Nurses Treat?
ER nurses care for patients of all ages, ethnicities and races with innumerable health concerns. Some may have pre-existing chronic conditions such as asthma, cancer, heart or kidney disease, diabetes or mental illness.
Typically, ER patients come and go quickly, so nurses do not have time to establish long-term relationships with them. Some ER patients suffer from serious injuries due to natural catastrophes, violence or unfortunate circumstances. These various ER patients may be victims of the following:
- Car accidents
- Earthquakes
- Floods
- House fires
- Mass shootings
- Terrorism
- Work and industrial accidents
Where Do ER Nurses Find Jobs?
Most ER nurses work in hospitals but they can also find employment in numerous other settings. For instance, they can be found in the following places:
- Corporations and businesses
- Crisis intervention centers
- Federal or state governmental agencies
- Helicopters and airplanes
- The military
- Correctional facilities
- Poison control centers
- Research institutes
- Schools of nursing
- Urgent care centers
How Do You Become an ER Nurse?
A BSN is the recommended degree for an ER nurse. You should complete your degree through an accredited nursing program like the online BSN from UTA’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation. This accelerated online BSN program has no traditional semester breaks, so you can complete it in as few as 15 months. You learn through technology-enhanced courses, and UTA faculty supervise your clinical experiences at partner hospitals throughout the state of Texas.
Once you earn your BSN, you need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) so you can receive your license to practice as a registered nurse (RN). While certification is not mandatory, many employers prefer that nurses have additional credentials when working in emergency medicine.
The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) suggests that you have two years of experience in an emergency room department before taking the Certified Emergency Nurse Examination to become a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN). You will have to get re-certified every four years. Here are some other certifications ER nurses can obtain from the BCEN:
- Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN)
- Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN)
- Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN)
- Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN)
What Is the Salary and Job Outlook for ER Nurses?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not have a separate category for ER nurses but reports that the annual median income for RNs was $86,070 in 2023. Earning a BSN can also add to your income potential. ZipRecruiter reports that BSN-prepared RNs make an average yearly salary of $125,323, as of October 2024. Plus, the job outlook for nurses remains positive, with BLS projecting a 6% increase in employment of RNs from 2023 to 2033 — faster than the average for all occupations.
Now that you’ve had a glimpse into the world of ER nursing, you can make an informed decision about your future in nursing. If you decide ER nursing is for you, you will be at the forefront of patient care, which is demanding and rewarding in both the little and big moments. Just imagine helping a frightened child with a sprained ankle, calming anxious parents of a newborn with a high fever or saving the life of a person who is going into cardiac arrest. With a BSN and a drive to succeed in a challenging job, you can be a part of the fast-paced, exhilarating ER nursing specialty.
Learn more about UTA’s online BSN program.
