It only took a handful of weeks, but I have officially spent a drive home crying. The weirdest part is I’m pretty sure it was a vortex of good and bad emotions. I got my first taste of the bureaucracy of hospital life and I have to say, I’m not a fan. It just so happened that on the same shift, I hiked up my big girl panties {I really hate that word, but there it is}, and just handled a patient by myself from EMS report to shift handoff. I believe the rules are that I am not supposed to do that, but well, here we are. Bonus points/kudos were earned with my preceptor so I don’t think I have anything to worry about.
I’m not going to lie. Actually being in the ER and doing what I have always dreamed of is freaking surreal. It feels like I’m just in clinicals and I only have a few shifts left to get in as much learning as I can. Except I know that after that magical day when I no longer have a preceptor double checking everything I do, I still have coworkers who are willing to answer any question, check any charting, and generally just be an awesome support system. At this point, I can’t tell if I’m more terrified or excited.
The Diary of a Mad Nursing Student *Turned ER Nurse* 