ER or ICU

Sue Damones · Jan 21, 2008

Point to ponder.........Sue is pushing the ICU but she admits she wants ER...........hmmm...........

Yeah yeah yeah I know... :bugeyes: lol....

It's hard though, because I've almost hit the 2 year mark (February) in ICU and I'm getting that itch to do something different. You can see from my signature that I do want to go back to school but I a) haven't even made up my mind as to what to go to school for yet and b) don't know if I can afford to go to school right now. Plus, I work 30 miles away and the drive is starting to get old. So... maybe a switch to a nearby ER might be in order... ehh I'm confused too :idea:

crb613, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2008

I was floated to the ER recently to help out.......I love it! I am in the process of going full time ER. I am in orientation but still get floated to the floor. I hate it when that happens.....I have ER in my blood & that is all I want to do. I never thought I would leave M/S :icon_roll

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Jan 21, 2008

I work in an ICU and I do like it and I can see myself switching back and forth over the years from ER to ICU. We have a lot of patients that come to our unit via mediflight or something and bypass the ER (drownings, DKAs, etc) and those are my favorites! I work in the PICU and I love the patients and the heart kids especially. But I don't always like the long term patients or the patients that seem to come back again and again (at least in the ER you can send them on their way out the door or up to a floor). I get bored easily and like change.

BUT, I sometimes get very bored with the routines of the ICU and when the patient is stable and going to the floor the next morning (I work nights) it can be *very* boring to me. A-lines, vents, drips to me are not that thrilling to work with. Of course it can be boring in the ER as well (well the few shifts I've worked down there it's either packed or nothing at all...which is fine sometimes!). I think for me, overall, I'm going to go to the ER when I graduate in May.

Have you been able to work in both areas as a student or whatever to get a feel? There are pros and cons to both, just like any area. And of course with nursing if you get into something you don't care for, you can just switch to another area! Awesome :)

ICU and ER are very very different. Both are fun.

foxyhill21 · May 7, 2008

I am a new grad and I have been in the ICU for less then three month and I am BORED!!! I am sick and tried of the day to day route, bath, meds, VS q 4, blood draws at 0500, oral care, I/O at 2200 and 0600. I went into the ICU b/e I wanted to go to CRNA school, but now I don't know if I want to become an NP, CRNA or PA. I wish I had went straight to the county hospital ER..... my friends that went straight to ER are having a BLAST. As an ICU nurse I feel like I am just a babysitter (just my thoughts). With ER I think your analytical and critical thinking school will develop extremely quickly.