ER Nurses are the front line of the hospital and see people as they present in their worst moment on the worst day of their lives.
“We try to go above and beyond to make sure we provide them with not only the care that they need but the comfort that they need so that it isn’t necessarily the worst day at the end of the day,” said Raleigh General Hospital’s Jessie Kessler, director of emergency and trauma services. “Provide them some sort of hope, some sort of goal towards their care, and a means to get there.”
“Treat ’em with respect and kindness and courtesy and get to see ’em go home the next day is our ultimate goal,” said ARH Hospital’s emergency department director Eric Withrow.
When we think of our emergency room nurses, we think of their enduring dedication. It’s all about saving lives. Thank you for being on the front lines every day — putting in the hard work, service and commitment.
Jessie says the most rewarding part of her job is when they have those heroic saves.
“When someone is in a traumatic accident and we’re able to resuscitate them or if someone’s having a heart attack and we’re able to get them the intervention and the care that they need in an expeditious manner,” Kessler said.
She says challenging is the large volume they see, people never stop getting sick.
“Triaging those and making sure that we’re making the appropriate decisions at the appropriate time for the most amount of patients,” said the director of emergency and trauma services. ” And dealing with very difficult situations — vulnerable populations; the abused, the elderly, young children.”
Being an ER nurse means so much to Eric Withrow, who has dedicated his life to this profession for the past 13 years…
“Gives us one chance to help one person every day… that’s all we can ask; if we have an opportunity to help one person it makes the whole profession worthwhile,” Withrow said.
The best way to appreciate your ED nurse is to be patient. They do all they can to take great care of everyone who walks through their doors as fast as they can.
“We get to help people on the worst day of their life,” said ARH’s emergency department director.
