Do you like ER or ICU better?

Specialties Emergency

Published

I am just wondering if there are any nurses out there that have worked in both the ER and the ICU? If so which did you like better and why? I have never worked in the ER but i have worked in a general ICU and a CVICU and enjoyed both. I will be starting a critical care program soon and will have the opportunity to to choose to go back to working in an ICU setting or the ER. I've always thought that I would like the ER but since I have never worked in that area I am nervous.

Specializes in ER.
PMFB-RN has a listed specialty of burn ICU and SICU.

And I remember this user from several other discussions I have had and she/he specifically stated that they worked ICU. (we discussed whether ICUs were more inclined to BSNs or ADNs)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

PMFB-RN:

Also:

If I walked into the trauma room and you were asking me to record vital signs, I would flip off my gloves and ask you, "Girl, didn't you bring a tech with you?" sorry. not risking my license to stand in a freakin room and record your vitals for you sweet pea!

And oh! whoever said they noted no animosity between ER and ICU, it must be regional. There is tons in my facility and in other area facilities and its a natural extension of the types of people who work in these very different yet similar places.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
PMFB-RN:

Also:

If I walked into the trauma room and you were asking me to record vital signs, I would flip off my gloves and ask you, "Girl, didn't you bring a tech with you?" sorry. not risking my license to stand in a freakin room and record your vitals for you sweet pea!

*** Don't worry, I would never ask an ER nurse to record vitals at our hospital. It's their job, spelled out in the trauma diagram & policy. They know it, they are the ones who pushed to have the ICU nurses come down for the traumas. They don't have enough staff to do the ER plus put two RNs in the trauma bays with each trauma. Big hospital, small ER.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency.

I'm an ER nurse and in our ER (as well as every ER I've ever heard of), the ER nurses are the EMERGENCY nurses and the ICU nurses are their own specialty. The ICU nurses do not step foot in the ER, the ER nurses do however transport pts to the ICUs. The ER nurses are the jack of all trades but master of none, we stabilize the patients prior to transfer to the ICU, cath lab, OR, etc. I don't see the point in having an ICU nurse respond to traumas/codes, after all isn't that what the title EMERGENCY nurse entails? The ICU nurses are great at running their own codes, however in a much more controlled setting where they KNOW what is going on with the patient. This is usually not the case in the ED. Also, sometimes the ER physicians are called to complicated codes in the ICUs, and ER nurses are to respond to all codes on the 1st floor (same floor as ER). We stablize, they fluff and buff (and ask tons of questions we haven't had time to deal with) in report :rolleyes:. For every aspect of their job we don't want, there are plenty of ours that they feel the same about I'm sure! We have respect for them and they have respect for us, but that doesn't mean we want each other's jobs! :redbeathe

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I'm an ER nurse and in our ER (as well as every ER I've ever heard of), the ER nurses are the EMERGENCY nurses and the ICU nurses are their own specialty. The ICU nurses do not step foot in the ER, the ER nurses do however transport pts to the ICUs. The ER nurses are the jack of all trades but master of none, we stabilize the patients prior to transfer to the ICU, cath lab, OR, etc. I don't see the point in having an ICU nurse respond to traumas/codes, after all isn't that what the title EMERGENCY nurse entails? The ICU nurses are great at running their own codes, however in a much more controlled setting where they KNOW what is going on with the patient. This is usually not the case in the ED. Also, sometimes the ER physicians are called to complicated codes in the ICUs, and ER nurses are to respond to all codes on the 1st floor (same floor as ER). We stablize, they fluff and buff (and ask tons of questions we haven't had time to deal with) in report :rolleyes:. For every aspect of their job we don't want, there are plenty of ours that they feel the same about I'm sure! We have respect for them and they have respect for us, but that doesn't mean we want each other's jobs! :redbeathe

*** At our hospital there is great overlap between ICU and ER staff. The reason ICU nurses come down for trauma is because there are not enough ER nurses staffed to run the ER plus run the trauma bays. As I mentioned previously Big hospital, very small ER. Our ER nurses do not respond to codes outside the ER. ICU nurses are on the code team and respond to all codes, even those in the ER.

Most of our ICU nurses also float, or work casual in the ER and many of the ER nurses float or pick up shifts in the ICU but much less often. The SICU had a large staff, about 56 nurses for a busy (well most of the time) SICU. The ER only has 12 beds plus the four trauma bays. They staff with 2-3 RNs each shift. The SICU staffs with 12-14 RNs each shift.

It's the same with STEMI but it's MICU/CCU RNs who come down to the ER and run the protocol. I think it's a great system. The ICU nurses get to be ICU nurses but also handle the fun stuff in ER, though it wasn't brought about simply to be fun for ICU nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

My request to everyone:

PFMB-RN has posted before regarding the unusual set up at his particular hospital, where it seems the ER RNs only handle minor cases but not traumas, codes, MIs ... aka the fun stuff. It is apparently a large teaching hospital that somehow forgot that the ER is the front door for much of the fun stuff. It is difficult for most of the rest of us to wrap our brains around.

Whatever. It is what it is.

Let's just ... LEAVE ... IT ... ALONE ... unless we really want to see yet another thread derailed by I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I indignation.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
It is apparently a large teaching hospital that somehow forgot that the ER is the front door for much of the fun stuff.

*** They didn't forget anything. It's what happens when you place a large (by our standards, 580 beds) hospital in a very small town. The hospital serves a huge geographic rural area, the ER serves a small town. It is the flagship hospital for a health system. In realiety all the little ERs in the small town hospitals could be considered our ER but at a distance with the helocopters and ground ambulances being like a long hall way.

I think those who live and work in larger cities are the ones who might have a hard time understanding how things might be out here in the sticks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

I was just browsing around the site tonight, looking for an interesting topic - whoa! Found it! I cannot answer the OP question, since I only have ICU experience. I love ICU, and honestly, I don't know if I could do ED. Two different animals, and I highly respect the ED RNs at my hospital.

I just wanted to comment on the conversation going on regarding PMFB-RN's hospital. I totally understand why ED RNs are getting upset, but I don't think that PMFB made up the protocols at this hospital. It seems some are taking it personal. I work at a Level I trauma center - and no, ICU RNs do not respond to traumas. The trauma surgeon and the ED RNs run that show. ICU RNs are however, part of the "code team" and respond to all codes (and RRTs) in house, apart from the ED. That is not our territory and we don't pretend otherwise. It almost sounds like the same idea, except their ICU RN responds to a "trauma code" like we do a "code blue." Maybe their ED RNs have less education (TNCC and such)? I don't know:confused:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment