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What are some ER nursing hacks that you use frequently?


September 21st, 2021

1. Double glove if you are in the “love” foley insertion, cervix eval.. these are not your “usual you know their history” patients, this protects you and others because soiled gloves are in the trash pile while you are still gloved to toss it.
2. Learn to back flush or burp your lines: , clamp your tubing and spike your bag. Do NOT squeeze fluid into the drip chamber yet. Now, turn the bag upside down. Unclamp the tubing, and “burp” out the excess air at the top of the upside-down bag.
3. Learn what meds can be used orally for kids mixed with juice… trust me, but always ask MD for permission to administer it that way.
4. Lidocaine is your friend (IV insertion, gastritis, male foley insertion oral pain, coug
5. Fix smells nebulize essential oils, liquid Maslow on feet,coffee…
6. Use BP cuff for pressure bag

September 17th, 2021

½ inch Penrose drain as a tourniquet for the difficult IV or straight stick blood draws.

October 15th, 2023

Some of the ER's I work in have the fill it yourself ice packs instead of the ones you pop, I use a Styrofoam cup and cut out the bottom to avoid spillage in the age of Covid now when I do a respiratory treatment with a hand held nebulizer I use a in line filter at the end of the pipe to reduce
mist particles in the room. When I give Motrin or Tylenol to pediatric pts. I use a sharpie to mark the
ml line for quick access its hard to read those little dispenser cups.

May 29th, 2022

When I first started in the ED, nursing cards, YouTube, and my old nursing papers from school. Now, I use YouTube to refresh my memory on techniques but I also use the foldable nursing clipboard with all the nursing info taped on the front.

April 14th, 2022

Before you give an injection tap to injection site with the same alcohol pad used to clean the area just before giving the injection and the patient will not feel the initial stick from the shot..