basic ER

[rcruzrn]

Hey everyone, first time poster, long time viewer. I have been working in a small non-trauma/non-cardiac/non-stroke receiving ER for a little over year. My plan is to hopefully work in a trauma center or at least a cardiac hospital er. question is, does anyone have any experience transfering from a small ED to a large, trauma ED. If so, how was your experience?

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

I worked in a freestanding, 15-bed ED for a couple of years and then went to work per diem in a Level 2 trauma center (while staying full-time at my regular gig). It was a little daunting, even with the super-sick and sometimes trauma-related patients that happened to roll up in my regular ED (we saw some crazy stuff!). But I had TNCC and ENPC under my belt, plus a couple years of experience, so I went for it. And I loved it!! Had I not commissioned into the Army Nurse Corps and moved, I totally would have pursued full-time employment with that Level 2. It's not so different from any other ED, except we received traumas. I found that there are soooooo many more resources and hands available in larger facilities, and once I figured out where things were and the layout (north-south-east-west areas, lots of beds!), I was hooked.

Get TNCC at a minimum, then go for it. :)