Trauma nursing careers carry a very high level of responsibility and take place under high stress conditions. This is a very demanding nursing career that involves long hours, a need for quick decision making and a genuine desire to help patients. Trauma nurses need to remain level headed and calm and they need to exhibit excellent communication skills. They also must know how to effectively deal with medical crises.
Trauma nurses are sometimes called emergency nurses or emergency/trauma nurses. They are registered nurses (RNs) that find work in hospitals, inpatient critical care settings and transport units. These nurses must work well under pressure as they are expected to care for patients who have suffered any number of serious injuries. Some of the injuries may be life-threatening while others may be less so. Examples of these include injuries suffered in motor vehicle accidents or work related accidents, boating accidents, poisonings, suicide attempts or other medical emergencies. It is possible that the injuries that the patients are brought in with could lead to secondary complications such as heart failure, respiratory failure, shock or death.
When you choose a trauma nursing career you may work with individuals of any age group. You must have quick reflexes and be able to respond to sudden events with efficiency, compassion, and professionalism. Emergency/trauma nurses must assess, intervene and stabilize their patients even when there is a limited amount of information known about the patient. They need to be able to act in an independent and autonomous capacity in their jobs. They also must be able to work as part of a team and they must be open and willing to educate their patients. Innovative thinking is an important aspect of working as a trauma nurse and so is the need to develop strong nurse-patient relationships.
The main duties of a person who chooses a trauma nursing career include providing care to patients in emergency circumstances, administering emergency procedures such as CPR or code blue, operating health care machines and being able to think fast and act even faster!
A trauma nurse must first gain her education as a registered nurse (as previously mentioned). She must be a RN with an associate’s degree, a diploma or a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) degree. The BSN is strongly recommended for this position. If an aspiring trauma nurses wishes to take a diploma program in emergency/trauma nursing then it will take approximately one year to complete. Some of the modules she will study during that one year include health care management, pharmacology, trauma nursing practice, health care and the law, ethos and professional practice and HIV/AIDS care. Trauma nursing careers are indeed traumatic in many ways but are also an excellent way to put your many skills to work in real life situations.
