Does it feel to everyone else that many newer nurses glamourize the ER and ICU?

[The0Walrus, BSN, RN]

I'm curious. Most of the people I went to school with want to be ICU or ER nurses. They've never worked in the ICU or the ER but that's all they want to do. I told one girl who refused to work anywhere else other than ICU to go into a nursing home if she needs a job. She refused it and it took her a few months to finally go into a nursing home. She quit after a month because of her standards. It's the same thing when it comes to med surg and psych nursing. It feels like many newer nurses look down upon any other nurses other than ER and ICU.

Another girl I know said she's wanted to work as a psych nurse forever, but when she was offered the ER position and psych position she took the ER position. I asked her why she chose ER over psych and she said she knows ER better. Now she complains about the work load from a trauma 2 hospital. I asked her why she didn't just transfer into psych since it's what she wanted and she didn't really give me a concrete answer just basically that she's stuck.

Does it feel that way to anyone else? When it comes to ER/ICU it feels like they only respect those specialties. Thanks!

[Sour Lemon]

47 minutes ago, The0Walrus said:

I'm curious. Most of the people I went to school with want to be ICU or ER nurses. They've never worked in the ICU or the ER but that's all they want to do. I told one girl who refused to work anywhere else other than ICU to go into a nursing home if she needs a job. She refused it and it took her a few months to finally go into a nursing home. She quit after a month because of her standards. It's the same thing when it comes to med surg and psych nursing. It feels like many newer nurses look down upon any other nurses other than ER and ICU.

Another girl I know said she's wanted to work as a psych nurse forever, but when she was offered the ER position and psych position she took the ER position. I asked her why she chose ER over psych and she said she knows ER better. Now she complains about the work load from a trauma 2 hospital. I asked her why she didn't just transfer into psych since it's what she wanted and she didn't really give me a concrete answer just basically that she's stuck.

Does it feel that way to anyone else? When it comes to ER/ICU it feels like they only respect those specialties. Thanks!

"Everyone" I went to school with wanted to be in ER or L&D. And every new nurse I meet now wants to be an NP, a CRNA, or the #1 Mega Supreme Ruler of the Universe.

Psych was my first love, but I've stayed current in med/surg because I feel like it's more general and marketable. When someone disrespects me, I just key their car or sleep with their husband.

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

Age old problem that some areas are seen as glamourous and others not. we had a great thread on this back in 2011

 

I second what I said back then 9 years ago. 

For me it's oncology or infectious diseases. Never been attracted by the ER or the ICU and while I value those nurses' skills, I value others too.

Personally I've the greatest respect for nurses in LTCs.

[Emergent, RN]

The wound care nurses seem amazing to this ER nurse. They can do a wound vac with their eyes closed. Their mastery of technique,  terminology,  and the myriad of dressings is utterly astonishing. 

[sevensonnets]

Sour Lemon, you never cease to amaze me! I almost snorked up a raisin over that last line. 

[llg, PhD, RN]

As a previous poster said, this is an age-old problem.   Some units are perceived as being "better" than others.    When I was in school many years ago, the "glamour unit" was the CCU.   In some children's hospitals, the most popular units with students is the oncology unit.   People have favorites and preferences for the type of work they do.   That is to be expected.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

5 hours ago, Sour Lemon said:

 When someone disrespects me, I just key their car or sleep with their husband.

Ah. I take a slightly different tact. I sleep in their car and key their husband...

[JKL33]

11 hours ago, Sour Lemon said:

And every new nurse I meet now wants to be an NP, a CRNA, or the #1 Mega Supreme Ruler of the Universe.

??

Hilarious. I concur, that is the general theme. Especially the delusions of grandeur part. No wonder there's no time for teaching stupid clinical skills in nursing school. There's important stuff to learn, like how to be delusional.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I can't imagine anyone glamourizing the ICU right now.

[Golden_RN, MSN]

I think it has to do with what seems "sexy" or heroic.  Also, it is what non-healthcare people think nurses do - work in ER, deliver babies, save lives in the ICU. 

The RN jobs I have had/enjoyed are never the jobs that are desirable to students/new grads (LTC, wound care, etc.).  

[Davey Do]

 

15 hours ago, Sour Lemon said:

... every new nurse I meet now wants to be... the #1 Mega Supreme Ruler of the Universe.

Psych was my first love, but I've stayed current in med/surg...

Belinda worked med/surg and I worked psych at Wrongway. One night I told Belinda's daughter, "We have to go to work now,  to save lives and fight the demons of mental illness!"

[0.9%NormalSarah, BSN, RN]

I was one of those students who wanted to go ICU because I really enjoyed diving a little deeper into pathophysiology and labs and lots of meds, and I like when the pressure is on. I just feel you get to do more of that when you have time with 1 or 2 patients. I have the deepest respect for all my friends that went to Tele, med surge, peds, L&D, LTC, etc. We are all different and want different things out of work, and those areas require skills I either was never good at or never developed after nursing school. We are all working together for the patients.