Question about experience

[OlivetheRN, ADN, BSN, RN]

Hi all. I'm currently a new grad ER nurse that has been working for almost 11 months now. I'm not really looking to start a new job for at least another 6 months or more, but occasionally look at job postings to see what's out there and what kind of experience employers are looking for for various positions, for future reference. The question I have is this, is working in the ER considered stepdown experience, or critical care, or a mix? A lot of our patients aren't critical, but we will also have days when we have a ton of high acuity, sick, sick, sick patients. So I'm just not sure if a position is asking for a year of adult critical care, pediatric critical care or two years of adult stepdown care, where the experience I have falls.

Thanks for any input!

[Katie71275]

I'm a new nurse as well with about 11 months in L&D. From my understanding ER falls under critical care. I could be wrong, but experience wise, I thought that it did.

[MereSanity]

ER isn't critical care because you don't titrate drips, etc. Yes...the patients are critical...but if you were going to go after a CRNA for example, ER experience doesn't qualify.

[OlivetheRN, ADN, BSN, RN]

ER isn't critical care because you don't titrate drips, etc. Yes...the patients are critical...but if you were going to go after a CRNA for example, ER experience doesn't qualify.

Yea, I guess I kind of get that. Although, I do titrate drips on a regular basis, for example when we're waiting on the admitting doc to see them and get them admitted or waiting on transport to another facility.

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

ER isn't critical care because you don't titrate drips, etc.

Actually, we do titrate drips in the ER. Pressors, cardizem, insulin, propofol, ativan, fentanyl, etc.

[MereSanity]

Yes...I know...I work ER...it still isn't considered critical care. How do I know? CRNA and NP school won't accept the ER for critical care experience.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Schools may not accept it but positions such as Interventional Radiology, Cath Lab and PACU do see it as critical care.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

A lot of the confusion is due to the wide variation among "Emergency Department" settings. (American Trauma Society: Trauma Resources » Trauma Categorization Explained). There is a very big difference between a "knife & gun club" Level I and a Level V in a community or rural area. If you are referring to this experience on a resume, I would advise you to include the trauma rating of that particular facility.

[tech1000]

You don't titrate drips in your ER?! I have days where all I do is titrate drips!

[tech1000]

My advice is that if you need critical care to apply and you have ER, you probably qualify unless it's specifically for ICU (and even then, ER still looks good to most places). ER is pretty versatile so you'd have a good shot at another job. If you want a job, apply regardless of what it says. You may not get a call back, but you might! No harm in trying!