ER VS ICU NURSING

eleectrosaurus · Jul 18, 2012

quote from johnny1414
which one pays more and works less??

"release the hounds"

NO50FRANNY · Jul 18, 2012

I'm starting to think "Johnny1414" is really someone else from these forums that got drunk and thought it would be funny to say absurd things.

Join date July 18th, 1 post- feed the jokster!

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 19, 2012

interesting, having worked for many years in both specialties and enjoyed both i would have to inform you that they are total opposite from one another, almost like comparing apples to oranges. having said that, these two specialties require several certifications some facilities will reimburse the cost or pay a percentage of the cost. needless, to say, neither one is an easy walk in the park when it comes to the workload they are both high energy departments. therefore, the er is very busy with stubbed toes, to cardiac arrests, one cannot close the doors at er so its sink or swim at times. on the other hand, icu is busy at times with critical patients, however, some facilities can close their doors when each nurse has a maximum of 3 patients each. unquestionably, this will vary from state regulations having a nurse to patient staffing ratios on the hospital floors. however, there are no regulations for the er. therefore, the er can be difficult at times as you have to take care of all the patients regardless of how short handed you are. lastly, i would firmly suggest you do some research prior making a decision on either department. wishing you the best in all of your future endeavors...aloha~

CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jul 19, 2012

I'll try to restrain my inherent sarcastic "snarky" tendencies, and just politely suggest that you shadow for a shift or two in each of your potential specialties. See for yourself how the nurses in each specialty deal with their patients, family members, management staff, and coworkers.

I work ICU, and also highly respect those folks who work in ER.

Have a wonderful day!

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Jul 19, 2012

I've worked both and they both do. Good luck.

koi310 · Jul 19, 2012

There's an indie documentary making rounds called the "Waiting Room." It chronicles the daily occurrences in the ED in a public hospital in Oakland, CA. Worth a watch. You can go to their website and watch clips. There is also a facebook page. Worth a see and much more realistic than NY Med lol. To the OP: I don't know if you're joking or whatever, but you should just get a job in a hospital as an aide in critical or intensive care, or as an ER tech.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2012

oh well I just heard from my peers that ER nurses only have to do like half the work of floor nurses and ICU nurses and stuff, so I was just wondering.. any thoughts??

Huh. I wonder if my boss was aware of this.

sauconyrunner · Jul 19, 2012

This has got to be a joke. But it is kind of amusing, since I think sometimes people do think that of each of the areas.

lindarn · Jul 19, 2012

ICU nurses can work anywhere, even ER, because of our skill level. ER nurses, and med surg nurses do not learn how to care for the type critical patients we get in the ICU. Hemodynamic monitoring, vasoactive drips, read cardiac monitors, etc. I have had to float to the ER to care for a critical patient until we could get an open bed in the ICU.

I do not mean to denigrate ER nurses. I just believe that ICU provides a better experience, than ER.

I would shoot for an ICU position as soon as possible afer graduation, and work at least two years before brancing out.

JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW

wooh, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2012

I just believe that ICU provides a better experience, than ER.

Of course ICU nurses, with all their knowledge, can't multi-task. So when they float somewhere, they can't handle more than two patients.

Generalization, but before you go generalizing about your specialty's superiority, realize that the rest of us can generalize about your inferiority too.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2012

Lindarn...depending on the ER you are right, to an extent. I have worked at ED's that placed and used invasive monitoring, cracked chests, inserted brain drains and titrated drips and used IABP.....in the ED. ER nurses need to know how to read EKGs as well for they initiate thrombolytics and interventional lab. They are truly different specialities each challenging and unique. The difference is volume and location.

You can say the ICU nurse can say we don't have any beds and the ER nurse cannot. ER nurses need to know about traction and splinting and ICU nurses don't......this can go on for hours. They are both critical care areas and are completely different specialities. Both unique and extremely intense...I know I have worked both.

I LOVE the care of the sick fresh heart with 20 drips and a VAD. But,I LOVE the multiple trauma, open fractures, head injury semi coding, just as much. Each area takes a certain individual and skill set. It depends on the amount of chaos you desire.

We can agree to disagree without being unkind.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jul 19, 2012

hi, i'm a second year rn student and i eventually want to be an icu nurse or an er nurse, but i want to know which of the two really requires the most experience, highest skill set, and highest knowledge base? and which one pays more and works less??
im just wondering so i can have an idea when i get out of school, thanks! =)

seriously?

first, what's a "second year rn student?" maybe you're not in the us, but here i don't know of any such thing as an rn degree. or are you already an rn and a student in something else?

second, assuming that your questions were serious, both icu and er require an enormous knowledge base and extensive skill set. the difference is that the er nurse has to be knowledgable in a wide variety of specialties because absolutely anything from a pre-prom pimple to bubonic plague or massive trauma could come through those doors at any time. (well, the pre-prom pimple is usually a spring thing.) the er nurse needs to be able to recognize important signs and symptoms, notify the physician and stabilize the patient for transport to testing and to the correct inpatient setting.

the icu nurse usually cares for a limited patient population, the larger the hospital the more specialized the intensive care units. but within that patient population, she requires a depth of knowledge and a skill set specific to that setting.

as far as you last two questions, if you're asking them you probably don't have what it takes to work either in icu or er. but in most hospitals, the pay is the same. if you're worried about who works less, i'm hoping against all hope you don't wind up in my icu!