Location Map FAQ
St. Maarten Medical Center
Emergency epartment
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Nursing is a profession within the health care sector, focused on the care of individuals, families and communities so they may attain, maintain optimal health and quality of life.
Some qualities that make up great nurses:
Working in the emergency department is a fast moving environment. Emergency nurses are considered to be ‘the front line’ of patient care.
We, the nurses, are facing many challenges every day. We work as part of a team, evaluating and treating patients who have suffered a minor or major trauma, prioritizing the urgency of their care and providing emotional support to the patient and their family.
Emergency nurses need to have a broad set of skills to be familiar with a range of illnesses and able to think quickly. In one minute, it could be a person who has been involved in a major car accident, next, an elderly persons with a seizure, a sick child with a high fever or a pregnant lady with vaginal bleeding.
Emergency nurses could be responsible for resuscitating patients, triaging and treating less urgent patients, providing care and treatment for their injuries or illnesses and providing the evaluation and support needed for a patient to return home. This nurse can be a member of disaster teams, assisting at the scene of major car accidents or disasters.
An emergency nurse needs to act with a huge degree of autonomy and have the ability to initiate treatment, at the same time educate and support patients and their family.
All ER nurses should be familiar with the policies of the hospital and facility they work in, as well as have a clear understanding of the proper medical/hospital procedures and protocols necessary to operate ethically, effectively and efficiently in their health care setting.
Because the emergency medical field is a fast paced environment, ER nurses must do a good job utilizing their abilities and must possess good time management skills.
Nurses who are able to properly manage their time, effectively multitask and prioritize their responsibilities, have a better time completing their duties in a timely manner and maintain confidence in critical situations.