Make a difference as an ED nurse at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, our emergency department (ED) nurses deliver the highest level of care at two separate locations: University Hospital, an ACS-verified Level I Trauma Center, Comprehensive Burn Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center, and East Hospital, an American College of Surgeons-certified Level III Trauma Center. Across both locations, we managed over 120,000 ED visits during fiscal year 2023.
Because we deal with traumatic, severe and often life-threatening conditions and critical injuries, your days will never be routine — but they will be rewarding. We’ll also do everything we can to provide the support, encouragement and professional development opportunities you need to spend your entire career as a Buckeye. A competitive benefits package that includes a generous retirement plan and tuition assistance just adds more career advantages.
ED nurses often deal with intense medical situations, and your quick assessment, triage and calm approach under pressure can be a game changer for a patient who is scared, in pain and often struggling or unable to communicate. The patient’s loved ones may also look to you for answers or reassurance, and your co-workers will rely on you for professional partnership and personal support.
To fulfill such an important role, an outstanding ED nurse must be highly trained, but also empathetic, self-assured and decisive with strong communication skills.
Ohio State innovations in emergency care
At Ohio State, you’ll find a team-centered environment where some of the country’s best trauma surgeons, medical specialists and nurses provide evidence-based emergency treatment using the latest technology.
Examples of this advanced care include our:
- STEMI Alert System – When an ED patient suffers an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), one of the most serious types of heart attack, our system triggers a rapid treatment protocol at our nearby Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital.
- Comprehensive Burn Center – We have the only adult burn center in central Ohio that’s verified by the American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association.
- Certified Stroke Program – Ours is the only comprehensive stroke program in Columbus, providing multidisciplinary care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Hyperbaric medicine – We’re the only health care provider in central Ohio offering emergency treatment in hyperbaric medicine chambers.
- Emergency care for patients with cancer – At our University Hospital ED, patients who have cancer and urgent medical needs can be seen by emergency physicians and nurses with additional training in oncology.
- Forensic nursing program – Specially trained sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) are available at any hour to help and care for sexual assault victims.
- Level I Geriatric Accredited Unit – We’re the only hospital in Columbus with this accreditation, which requires confirmation of best practices in ED care for older patients.
- Center for Emergency Medical Services (CEMS) – This dedicated center helps the ED maintain strong relations with first responders.
- Sepsis Alert System – Our emergency team works with area EMS agencies to quickly identify suspected cases of sepsis and then mobilize a treatment team in our ED to deliver rapid, life-saving care.
Health care excellence
As one of the nation’s largest academic medical centers, Ohio State is at the forefront of technology, medical education and research. Our patients are provided the latest medical treatments, and we believe collaboration across specialties is the best way to deliver care.
Continuity of care
It’s not uncommon to identify additional physical or mental health issues during an ED visit. Whatever concerns you uncover, we have the breadth and depth of medical specialties and resources needed to help during or after the ED visit. This includes assistance with social determinants of health, such as access to transportation, housing, education and social support. This referral network gives you a remarkable opportunity to change lives and reduce long-term health risks.
Education
Our medical center exists within one of the largest universities in the nation where you can advance your own education with tuition reimbursement. You can also work in research or train others as a College of Nursing faculty member.
ED nursing develops a broad range of skills that will be useful throughout your career, whether you remain within emergency medicine or shift to another medical specialty or area of interest. The abilities you’ll strengthen as an ED nurse include:
- Teamwork with nursing and interdisciplinary teams
- Critical thinking
- Care of critical patients
- Addressing individual needs across a diverse patient population
- Patient triage and case prioritization
- Management of high-acuity situations
- Care for patients with unique and even rare conditions because of our status as an academic medical center
- Disaster preparedness and care delivery for disaster/mass casualty incidents
- Partnership with Columbus Fire through ride-alongs with paramedics
- Communication management with patients and visitors
- Interdisciplinary collaboration with Emergency Medicine and other specialties to treat the whole person and provide the best possible care to all patients
