ER Scribe

My first day as an ER Scribe

I was excited. The ER Scribe position is a dream job for a pre med student. When I first researched the position, I could hardly believe it. You mean you get to follow around ER doctors, take notes for them, keep track of lab results and xrays and cat scans, and you get paid for it? Sweet!

So yeah, it was my first day and I was excited. Like, first date kind of feeling. Apprehenisive, nervous, but looking forward to it.

I’m supposed to be at work 45 minutes before the shift so my trainer can orient me a bit. I give myself about an hour and 15 minutes to get to work. The shift started at 6 PM, so traffic would be an issue, but I figured that would be plenty of time. Wrong.

An hour and 45 minutes later, I screech into the parking lot, slam the door shut and run towards the hospital. I’m sweating because it’s summertime, my car doesn’t have air conditioning and I’m nervous as hell. I meet my trainer (I called and let her know I was running late) and we rushed to get me changed into some scrubs. While I’m late for our orientation, if we hurry at least we won’t be late for the shift to start.

10 minutes before the shift starts. My trainer is giving me a quick tour of the ER and we’re looking for a COW (computer on wheels) simultaneously. Of course, I’m working at the largest ER around, with 4 separate sections. I have no idea where I am.

5 minutes til the shift starts. We’ve found a COW. My trainer has signed into the charting software. The doctor we’re working with shows up and we meet quickly. Then, our first patient of the night shows up.

CODE! I don’t know what that means, but apparently it’s bad. Chaos surrounds me. The paramedics are rushing in, a billion nurses are hovering. My keen observation perceives that a code is a big deal. We follow everyone into the room. I do my best to stay out of the way. The doctor looks at me and says, "We need to get records from _____Hospital!"

Uhhh. Ok. Luckily my trainer saved my butt and points me to the unit secretary, "Go ask her."

I walk up. She seems intent on something. "Uhhm. So, yeah." I sound like a bumbling idiot. "I guess, we uhh, need records from-"

"Already on it!" She says curtly, cutting me off. She has subsequently become my favorite unit secretary.

All I remember about the patient was that he was unresponsive when he first came in. The rest is a blur. I think he survived. The rest of the shift was spent attempting to absorb globs of information- medical terminology, how to work two separate charting software programs, where room 14 is located etc.

All that to say- my first day was kind of rough. But I loved it.

(Photo Credit)

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