Conflicted ED Nurse

[purple_zen]

Hello!!

I'm 23 and graduated with my BSN in 2013, and I always dreamed of being an ED nurse. I spent a year on the Ortho-Trauma floor and was thrilled to accept a position in the ED at a new hospital. I wanted the fast paced, critical care aspect, but also wanted to be able to comfort and care for patients. I am 3 months in and unfortunantly I feel like a med/surg/tele nurse with a revolving door. I should have known in the ED I wouldn't have much of an opportunity to grow a bond with my patients, but I didn't know how much of an impact it would have on me. The critical patients are interesting, and I am able to handle the stress but I can feel this isn't my specialty and its a tough realization.

One aspect that was surprising to me was the OB patients, whether laboring or just finding out they were pregnant, I was enthralled. I loved my OB clinicals but I was so focused on ED that I didn't give it a second thought. With my pregnant patients I am either jumping in excitement with them, or holding their hand when they found out they had a miscarriage... Any time we have a laboring patient we take to L&D, I desperately want to stay with her and be involved with the whole process, it just feels right. I work in a hospital with an amazing L&D unit, and there are positions open, but I don't want to leave ED after being there just 3 months. I've started reading books and freshening my skills on infant care and labor and delivery in general... any advice? Should I stay a year? 6 months?

Thank you :)

[iPink, BSN, RN]

You already had your one year experience on a different floor. If your hospital will allow you to transfer to L&D after spending 3 months on a different unit, then go for it. However, many hospitals (like mine) allow transfers when you've spent 6 months on a unit. They want to keep you happy by allowing you to transfer instead of leaving the hospital for a competitor, but it may take a few more months to make that happen.

My advice would be to find out your hospital's unit transfer policy, then go from there. Good luck!

[cayenne06, MSN, CNM]

I agree! If your hospital will allow you to transfer after just three months in one department, I'd go for it. Otherwise, stick it out and transfer as soon as you can!

L&D is the best nursing specialty- not that i'm biased or anything :)