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.
Making a difference as an ED nurse
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.
Buckeye pride
You’ll join a diverse team of colleagues and gain opportunities to develop professional partnerships and lifelong friendships. To encourage and support every member of our team and ensure that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are considered in all aspects of our patient care, education and research, our Department of Emergency Medicine has a DEI committee and Action Plan to keep us engaged and accountable.
Competitive benefits
As a state employee, you’ll earn some of the best retirement benefits around — and that’s in addition to other benefits including reimbursement and higher pay for earned certifications, a clinical ladder and medical conference attendance.
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.
Here in Nursing Podcast
Here in Nursing is a monthly podcast from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for nurses and by nurses. We explore the topics important to nursing today, from the perspectives of RNs, NPs and other advanced practice providers.
Three Buckeye nurses share their experiences and transition to ED nursing at Ohio State—listen to the episode.
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
Others rank us among the best hospitals in the nation
Among the rankings and awards that the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center has earned are:
U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list
For 31 consecutive years we’ve appeared on the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list, making us the top-ranked hospital in central Ohio. We’ve also earned a national ranking in 10 areas of complex specialty care.
Ranked High Performing
U.S. News & World Report has also rated Ohio State “high performing” in two adult specialties and 16 out of 22 common procedures and conditions, including heart attack and stroke.
Lantern Award
East Hospital was the first in central Ohio to receive the Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award, which recognizes exceptional patient care and innovative performance in leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research.
American College of Emergency Physicians Level I Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation
As the gold standard, Level I Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians reveals our dedication to outstanding patient care for older adults.
Interested in joining our team as an ED nurse?
More Information
To build a diverse and inclusive workforce, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.