Learning Trauma as an ER Nurse

If you are an emergency nurse and work at a level 1 or level 2 trauma center, you are probably waiting with bated breath to get into trauma.  Trauma is a whole other can of worms in the emergency department. 

You are going to want to jump in bedside to trauma, but here are some words of advice…don’t jump in.  First, you are not going to have any clue what you are doing, even though you know everything to do (basically).  It is going to be chaotic and a flurry of activity.

Instead, learn how to document.  There are many reasons, but here are some of the best reasons to get your feet wet with documentation first.

1. Learning to document traumas is critically important.
2. Learning the documentation of traumas will clue you into the pace and requirements of trauma.
3. You will learn the labs that are needed.
4. You will learn the diagnostic tests that are needed.
5. You will learn the expectations of the trauma team. IMPORTANT
6. You will start to catch on to where everything is. This is critical because knowing where things are is half the battle.  You aren’t going to be doing stitches, but you will be fetching things for the trauma team to do them.  If you don’t know where they are, they are going to get frustrated with you. MORE IMPORTANT
7. You will learn the name of the team members which is required for the documentation.
8. You will learn the actual meaning of the things you are documenting.
9. Maybe the most critical thing of all, you will learn the order of the primary/secondary survey and start to put together the things that go with each piece of the assessment, so you can begin to critically think through traumas.

I know, I know. It is an incredibly interesting part of nursing but take your time.  Learn the right way.  Keep everything in perspective.