I know the question of ICU vs ED has been asked on here a lot. I am seeking a little more personal advice. I graduated with my ADN 6 months ago and will finish my BSN at the end of this year. I have been working on a surgical unit since I graduated. I have interviews this week for ED and float pool (which, in our hospital, includes ICU and is often a stepping stone to an ICU position). I would appreciate any experienced nurse's opinions about which would be better for me.
Here is a bit about me:
I got into nursing for the science of it. I love to learn. I do enjoy a fast pace, but I equally enjoy a narrow focus on a complex case. I enjoy performing skills. I plan on starting work on my DNP next year. I like to have a fair amount of autonomy in my work. I am a quuck thinker and quick learner. It seems to me I have interests that pull me toward both directions. Also, the ED position requires a 2 year commitment.
If you like focused cases with autonomy, then ICU. If you like task based nursing with rapid turnover, ER.
Cheers
Giving you the benefit of the doubt that you've actually worked as a Registered Nurse in an ED: If you operated in task-based mode and had no autonomy, you didn't do it right.
In ICU there is an underlying structure. You will get 1 or 2 patients with a certain diagnosis, depending on the unit you are working in. After report comes assessments, meds, turns, rounds with the doctors, etc. The patients all are in a specific age group- adults or peds and are grouped according to diagnosis- burns go to one unit, trauma to another.
ED takes all ages, all diagnoses, all levels of care from not ill at all to DOA, the numbers of people fluctuate widely. The diagnosis is often unclear and changes happen quickly.
If you like focused cases with autonomy, then ICU. If you like task based nursing with rapid turnover, ER.
Cheers
It's always the ICU nurses who say that ER nursing is task based and that is the difference. ICU = brains, ER = speed. That is not ICU vs ER in a nutshell. Both are complex, overlap, and are different.
How much of ICU is bathing, suctioning, turning, mouth care, and dressing wounds?
ThePsychWhisperer, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP
282 Posts
I have never seen this summed up so succinctly and so accurately before... my mind is blown