Hello everyone :)

Looking for some insight on being an ER shared employee/ traveler. I have been an ER nurse in a local community hospital for 1.5 years and am looking into getting more experience in a more acute setting as well as some trauma exposure. I love to learn and would ultimately like to take travel assignments around the county. Any thoughts?

I hear that travelers and shared employees often get the **** assigments and hot messes. How has your experiences been? What is it like being a shared employee? Would you reccomend being a shared employee before taking travel assignments?

Thanks!

What is a shared employee?

I have seen travelers treated well in some EDs and terribly in others. Kind of goes with the culture already in place. But I would recommend more experience and some beyond a community hospital before you travel. Hospitals that need travelers tend to be higher acuity and you need to be able to adapt and function after a very minimal orientation.

I agree that you need more experience before you travel. Also, traveling is not going to get you the trauma experience that you want- you have to already have it going in. Most travelers I know will tell you that they aren't able to triage/take codes/traumas on their travel assignments as those are left to the full-time staff. There are some exceptions of course but if you want trauma/higher acuity I would suggest you get a little more experience where you are at or go work at a higher level ED.

Thanks everyone!

As a shared employee I would be able to pickup shifts at other ERs under the same "branch" ex: HCA, partners, Tenent.

I agreee that I need more experience, so that is why am interested in Becoming a shared employee. I plan on traveling after 2.5 -3 years, but I want exposure to the acuity that a Level 1 ER would have.

I agreee that I need more experience, so that is why am interested in Becoming a shared employee. I plan on traveling after 2.5 -3 years, but I want exposure to the acuity that a Level 1 ER would have.

You should be aware that, even if you end up in a L1 ED, as a traveler you will likely not get the L1 trauma cases; those will go to the experienced in-house staff who know the people, the equipment, the policies, and the places.

I've seen many a traveler come and go who are very frustrated because they took the assignment thinking that they were going to get "level 1 exposure" when in fact they ended up taking a lot of boarders and the basic choly/appy/LOL UTI cases.

From my experience, the only way to get L1 experience is to work in an L1 department for a period of several years.