What Does an ER Nurse Do?
What is an ER nurse? ER nurses treat people with serious illnesses and injuries when they arrive at the hospital. Many specialize in trauma, cardiac, pediatric, or geriatric emergency medicine. Nurse practitioners or physicians provide medical care and write orders for the ER nurses, who are tasked with supervising nursing assistants.
Primary Responsibilities
- Performing triage
- Administering nursing or medical treatments
- Monitoring vital signs and responding to changes
- Documenting treatments
- Recording care plans
- Communicating with patients and families
Skills Learned
- Quick thinking
- Steadiness under pressure
- Empathy
- Adaptability
- Stamina
Where Do ER Nurses Work?
ER nurses work in a variety of settings, each of which comes with different responsibilities.
Critical Access Hospital ER nurses in critical access hospitals help stabilize patients for transfer and treat serious injuries. They often have fewer resources for treating patients.
Urban Hospital Urban hospital ER nurses often respond to a variety of illnesses and injuries and sometimes assist in violence prevention.
Academic Medical Center/Teaching Hospital In academic centers, ER nurses are most likely to boast specialties, use advanced equipment, and apply experimental treatments.
Why Become an ER Nurse?
ER nursing jobs can be tremendously gratifying, but they can also be physically and emotionally draining. Sometimes ER nurses experience trauma and even develop PTSD from incidents with multiple casualties, such as disease outbreaks, natural disasters, mass shootings, or terrorist attacks. Like most nurses, however, ER nurses enjoy salaries above the U.S. average for all occupations.
Advantages to Becoming an ER Nurse
Disadvantages to Becoming an ER Nurse
How To Become an ER Nurse
How Much Do ER Nurses Make?
Demand is high for ER nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 5% job growth rate for RNs from 2024 to 2034, making ER nursing an attractive career. ER nurse salaries are well above the average national median salary of $49,500.
On average, ER Nurses earn $86,737 each year. Additional education and certification is a good investment for ER nurses seeking more compensation, responsibility, and autonomy. For example, nurse practitioners with ER skills can earn $112,687 each year, per Payscale.
Resources for ER Nurses
Frequently Asked Questions About ER Nurses
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