ER Pediatric Nurses here?

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Jan 31, 2012

I'm a peds ER nurse. I love my job, although my coworkers and I will joke about "saving the world one ear infection at a time." You see a ton of respiratory complaints especially asthma, increased traumas in the summer and in the after school hours. You deal with parents who have varying degrees of competence in their roles.

I was hired as a new grad- my particular ER has a history of hiring new grads and orienting them successfully. My hospital has a new residency program but it was not specific to the ER. Stay in close contact with your peds clinical and lecture instructors and let them know of your interest and ask for their advice. If you can get a PT job as a CNA or even a unit secretary or set up a preceptorship in a peds ER that would be helpful too (but your school would be the one to ask if you can set up a senior practicum in a peds ER).

Do you live in an area that has dedicated pediatric hospitals? If not, you'd have to think about moving to find one that has a peds ER.

danceluver · Jan 31, 2012

@ HiddencatRN: Thanks for responding...i'll be moving for school so I'm hoping there will be! What hospital may I ask that which you are speaking of? (Hires new grads?). Do schools normally allow you to set up a peds RN senior practicum or preceptorship? I would love that!

Do you get to do any suturing or casting or anything of that nature? Any NPs in your department?

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Jan 31, 2012

My program didn't offer a senior practicum. That's something you'd need to check with the school on. As far as hospitals that hire new grads, once you get closer to graduation start looking at job postings to see if there's a pattern (are there always job postings available or do they come and go, does the hospital hire all new nurses under a GN job description or do you apply to any open job that doesn't require experience, etc). A hospital that might be hiring new grads in a certain department today might be fully staffed when you start looking. Once you know where you are going to be for school you can get to know the local economy better.

We do not suture or cast- casting is done by ortho residents and suturing is done by ED residents or NPs.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Feb 1, 2012

I occasionally float to the ER and when I do, I almost always have pediatric patients. Most of them come in with respiratory complaints and trauma as hiddencatRN stated. Also things like nausea/vomiting and fever. Our pediatric patients typically come through the fast track. We have NP's (who are FNP's) as well as PA's in the fast track. The MD's & DO's work in the main ER.

danceluver · Feb 1, 2012

Thanks for your response turnforthenurseRN: I am completely ok working fast track, my interest lies specifically in a pediatric ER although a working in a "see all patients" ER is fine too. So thank you for letting me know there are mostly FNPs in that area. Its just I might not have that much RN experience before getting my masters, so I wanted to know if i'd be more attractive if I became a PNP over an FNP. What was your experience in obtaining an RN job in the ER?

Thanks!