ER or PICU?

[JennB03]

am looking to change specialties. I have experience in ICU and Surgery. I do not have a lot of experience working with children. But, I generally love kids and the few times I have had peds patients I really enjoyed it. I also have floated to ER a couple of times and loved it. I am debating what would be the better fit for me and am looking for any advice and/or experiences that would help me to make a decision. What are some of the pros and cons of ER, etc? Do you ever feel like you have so many critical patients that it is unsafe?

[*PICURN*]

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[blueinplaid]

I am a PICU RN now working in the ER since November. I love the PICU...it's mentally challenging and children have amazing recuperating abilities that we adults don't have. The ER is very fast paced. It's stressful and there is a constant reshuffling of priorities. I don't get the one on one patient time that I was used to, but try my best in the few minutes I have. I am enjoying the challenge of learning to think quickly and understand the adult side of medicine....you see everything in the ER. Hope I helped

Good luck!

[JennB03]

Thank you for replying. If you don't mind me asking, why did you change to the ER? Could you give some of the the downsides of working in PICU? I just want to be sure I am really cut out for this position. I don't want to have to change jobs again. What are some common diagnosis for children admitted to the hospital?

[ERNurse752, RN]

Thank you for replying. If you don't mind me asking, why did you change to the ER? Could you give some of the the downsides of working in PICU? I just want to be sure I am really cut out for this position. I don't want to have to change jobs again. What are some common diagnosis for children admitted to the hospital?

I don't work in PICU, but some things I have transferred kids to PICU are: RSV, pneumonia, DKA, bacterial meningitis, and head trauma.

[blueinplaid]

Thank you for replying. If you don't mind me asking, why did you change to the ER? Could you give some of the the downsides of working in PICU? I just want to be sure I am really cut out for this position. I don't want to have to change jobs again. What are some common diagnosis for children admitted to the hospital?[/QUO

Things I saw in PICU.....yes, RSV (although less since synergist the vaccine came out), asthma, sepsis, shunt replacements or insertions, craniosynistosis repairs, cardiac surgery from congenital defects, skin grafts, *thinking...CVVH, DKA....those come to mind off hand. Interesting cases like a boy with an amoeba in his brain, septic oncology kids....some hospitals will do transplants though mine didn't. Let me know if you have more detailed questions. Feel free to email me .