Anyone gone from urgent care to ER or vice versa

[dannygirl315]

I have a horrible work schedule that has me working different shifts all in the same week. So some weeks I'll have a mid-shift (11-11 or 1-1) and a day or night shift. Some weeks I'm on all day shifts. Some weeks are all night shifts. In one 8 days stretch I worked all 4 of the different shifts we have. It stinks to try to raise kids and bounce around like that, especially with a hubby that works night shift. Getting on day shift permanently will likely never happen for me unless there's a mass exodus from my department which I don't see happening. I'm not the youngest person and am low in seniority so I have a long time to go before day shift would open up and by then I'll be retiring. I'm looking also a fairly new grad (licensed about a year ago). I'm toying with going to urgent care for the better hours. I'm just not sure how I would like that because I'm used to the hectic and stressful pace of the ER. Has anyone ever gone from ER to urgent care or urgent care to ER? If so, any words of advice?

[memo636]

Hi Dannygirl315,

I worked in several Urgent Care Clinics before recently starting in the ED. Urgent Cares can vary widely, but the ones I worked at could all be pretty hectic and stressful at times.

At one clinic, on a busy weekend we could see 90 patients during a 12 hour day- with 3 Providers (MDs/NPs), 1 Tech, and 3 RNs (1 triage RN, and 2 RNs covering 9 exam rooms). I had to have ACLS and PALS certs to work there because they got a fair amount of patients that were not appropriate for Urgent Care and needed to be transported to the ED.

Patient turnover can be quick for sore throats, UTIs... There are often cellulitis or N/V/D that need an IV, or lacs in need of sutures. It is not uncommon for more acute patients to arrive with CP, SOB... and you do what you can for them until ALS arrives to transport them to the ED (O2, ekg, line/lab, nitro, monitor....).

Urgent Care could be a good alternative to the ED if you're looking for regular day shift hours. You still get a fast pace, see a variety of patients/complaints, and will still use some of your ED skills so they wont be lost if/when you go back.

I still work per-diem at an Urgent Care because I like it, but I am definitely falling in love with ED!

Hope this helps- good luck!