Last week was my first full week in the emergency department. What a wild ride! In reflecting on the 36 hours, there are certain things that bubbled up to the surface. Here they are:

• I love the ER;
• The more IVs you do, the better you get;
• My mentors are amazing;
• The sign of a great employer is one who wants you to be successful and will help you get there;
• Putting a catheter in a real person is different than a mannequin;
• ER unicorns may show up on the same day (pneumothorax and cardioversion, anyone?);
• If you are doing a skill for the first time, don’t tell the patient;
• Agitated psych patients use up lots of ER resources;
• Techs are some kick-ass teachers;
• With a choice of a 30-year old doctor, a 25-year old tech and a 55-year old new nurse, most patients will look to the oldest person in the room to answer their questions (that would be inexperienced me);
• ODs are no joke;
• There’s always lots of food;
• Code grey is when someone escapes from the hospital (don’t ask…);
• Sometimes it’s best to give someone a shower before you treat them (really don’t ask…);
• And the best advice from my manager: “Your job is to do the next thing the patient needs to move along to discharge, admission, pain relief, or diagnosis and when none of those things seem like they are happening, your job is the assure them they are safe and taken care of.”