I’m a baccalaureate-prepared ER nurse, TNCC instructor, preceptor, mentor, and the person who will absolutely stop what she’s doing to walk you through a scenario you’ve never seen before.
I’ve spent five years in nursing, four of them in the emergency department, and I’m currently chasing my MSN because apparently I don’t believe in free time. I teach the Trauma Nursing Core Course, precept new grads, and run this little corner of the internet for nurses who want to feel more confident walking into their next shift.
Anyone who’s worn scrubs with me knows I pin my badge to my heart. Literally. Every shift. It’s not a metaphor; it’s just annoying around my waist.
I believe the best patient outcomes start with education. Not the “here’s a pamphlet” kind: the real stuff. The kind where patients actually understand what’s happening to them and feel like partners in their own care. Medical literacy matters. Empowerment matters. And honestly? Taking thirty extra seconds to explain something in a way that makes sense might be the most important thing we do all day.
So, why EDNurseMentor?
Well, for starters. I got bored of trying to look for a one-stop shop of evidence-based resources for my new grads. Seriously, it was hard. I kept making piles of written context on gauze wrappers and copy paper. I had folders, binders. Notes, secure-chat resources. Emailed resources. Books. PDF Guides. It got hard to keep track of what I sent and to who. It also got difficult tracking how current the resources were. The biggest deficit of nursing resources online? It was so hard finding the topics I wanted to cover concisely that actually pertained to the Emergency Department. I honestly got the idea from the most recent new-grad I helped precept. We were discussing ED clinical nursing resources online, and she was kind enough to fill me with hot air, which encouraged me to take my ED nerd brain to the internet. Thanks again, Maggy.
I also stopped seeing the seasoned nurses jump on educational opportunities for new nurses.
You know the opportunities I’m talking about. It’s when you see a new nurse in the middle of something they’ve never seen, and you could just let them figure it out, but you don’t. You walk over. You guide them through it. You make sure they don’t drown. Yeah. That. That’s the culture you miss, by the way… your move.
This job is hard enough. I believe the point of ED culture is to stink together. I’m serious; help your teammate clear that code brown. Camaraderie in the traumatic moments, teamwork during the chaos, encouragement when it’s hard, and laughter when it’s not. That’s the heart of the ER. The heart of the badge. The heart of nursing: to serve and care for others, including each other.
So I built this place. For the new grad who’s white-knuckling through their first year. For the preceptor trying to figure out how to actually teach at the bedside. For the seasoned nurse who still wants to grow. Evidence-based, real-world tested, no fluff. Just one ER nurse helping another become the nurse their patients need.
When I’m Not at Work
You’ll find me lifting weights, flowing through yoga, reading something I probably should’ve finished weeks ago, painting, or keeping an alarming number of plants alive. I’m a dog mom, Jeep girl, a skincare enthusiast who takes her wellness seriously and a world-renowned taste tester for the love of my life, Chef Christo.
My guilty pleasure is Lorna Doones and I don’t mind administering rocket enemas—don’t come for me.
Oh, and I speak three languages. Portuguese was my first, English came second, and Spanish made three. Most people don’t see that coming.
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
That you’ll make small daily sacrifices for the sake of patient care, and some days that will disappoint you. Keeping your morale up and your resilience high during those moments makes the difference between a hard shift and a shift that breaks you. And the good days? They’re what carry you through the bad ones.
If I could change one thing about how we treat new nurses, it would be this: give them grace to find their footing, and support them long after orientation ends. The learning doesn’t stop when the preceptor walks away. Neither should the encouragement.
My Signature Exit
“Ok, that’s all the torture I have for you for now. Here’s my bat signal if you need me, or if you just want to gossip.”
Welcome to EDNurseMentor, the one-stop shop for real-life, evidence-based, ED nursing resources you’ve been looking for.
I’m glad you’re here.
Stay well. Have a great shit.
Nicole
This post is for educational purposes and reflects my personal perspective as a bedside ED RN in a Level II Trauma Center. EDNurseMentor.com is my personal hobby and has no affiliation to my professional career as a registered nurse, instructor, and student, respectively. EDNurseMentor.com has no affiliation with any associations I am professionally a member of. Always follow your facility’s protocols and use your own clinical judgment.
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