CAH or high acuity urban hospital?

[wildnursebrendan]

I start nursing school near Boston, MA in January, but just wanted to collect some info about fields that interest me. Travel nursing would be my goal after a few years honing skills.

To explain what I'm looking for, I currently work in a Critical Care Unit as a CNA and in an ED as an ER Tech. I like bothMy original plan was to go straight into ICU in Boston to see the very sick patients, and transition to Emergency Medicine at some point. The end goal would be to be a CCRN CEN nurse who TRAVELS for awhile.

Eventually certify in flight nursing or possibly volunteer as a paramedic part time.

After reading a few posts here it sounds like CAHs offer a little critical care and a little emergency medicine, with lots of opportunity for learning.

Would I be wrong in thinking a CAH is good experience to lead into travel nursing? The downside is I don't know what departments I would actually qualify for with this as my background.

Sorry that was long but thanks for taking the time. Any info is appreciated.

[crna2021]

I've worked in an ICU for 7 years but recently started picking shifts up at a CAH. I think starting at a CAH would be fine. I continue to learn when I'm at the CAH because I'm used to having all other resources around such as respiratory therapists and lab techs. This hospital is so small that I am doing things I've never done before. There is definitely room for growth at a CAH as a new grad. I would imagine that CAH experience would hone you to be a travel ER nurse, probably not ICU, since we don't keep patients long enough.