Float Med Surg/Tele RN looking to Switch to ER

[Wrestler133, BSN, MSN, RN]

Hello everyone, I've been currently stumped at work and feel like I need a change but don't know if I'm making the right decision or just jumping into a buzzaw.

I began my career in pre-op and pacu and decided to leave after 9 months because I felt I needed to "learn" the disease process working in med surg/telemetry and took a position at another hospital which lasted about 18 months and then trained in the ICUs and did that for a year. I did like the ICU, but wanted to work closer to home so took a med surg/tele float position with a hospital 5 minutes from my house as opposed to the 50 minute commute I was doing at my previous ICU job. Sometimes I feel I made a mistake.

My biggest gripe with working in med surg/telemetry is all the mundane tasks and interruptions during the day that I feel keep me away from actual patient care. Management seems to add more and more little tasks every month to do and often feel like I'm just clicking away at the computer and doing pointless paperwork during the day and with 5-6 patients yelling for pain meds and bed pans all day it's beginning to eat away at my soul to say the least. I've looked into going to the ICU at my current workplace but it seems obtaining a day shift position is almost impossible.

I recently saw some ER day positions at a hospital nearby for the same company and looked into applying. My ER experience is limited to ER ICU and Tele holds, but noticed the pace was a lot different with the RNs around me and noted that a lot of their charting and assessments we're focused as opposed to charting every detail on the floor. My question to peeps on this forum is how many have worked both types of floors and if any would leave the ER for a med surg/tele position, and any pros/cons to leaving floor nursing for ER. As far as my experience I worked in PreOp/Pacu for 9 months, MedSurg/Tele for 2 years, ICU for 1 year. Thanks

[Gooseontheloose, ADN]

Hey there. I'm totally in the same boat as you! I'm also a float/tele RN and am desperate for a change. I think if you have the desire to try something new, then go for it. I don't know about where you live, but in my area, it's next to impossible to get hired in any ER without prior ER or ICU experience, so there's where I'm personally hitting road blocks. I've been trying for over 6 months now and still haven't gotten an ER job here, but I haven't given up. If prior ER experience is not an issue where you are at, I would chat with your ER director and express your interest to them. I'm sure with your experience, you'd be an amazing addition. If you can think like an ER nurse and get on board with not thinking like a floor nurse, then you'll do great. I've talked to a lot of ER nurses and every single one who started as floor nurse said that making the switch was something they have never regretted. I say just go for it and try it. Good luck!

[Mebzone05, BSN]

On 1/6/2020 at 5:03 PM, Wrestler133 said:

Hello everyone, I've been currently stumped at work and feel like I need a change but don't know if I'm making the right decision or just jumping into a buzzaw.

I began my career in pre-op and pacu and decided to leave after 9 months because I felt I needed to "learn" the disease process working in med surg/telemetry and took a position at another hospital which lasted about 18 months and then trained in the ICUs and did that for a year. I did like the ICU, but wanted to work closer to home so took a med surg/tele float position with a hospital 5 minutes from my house as opposed to the 50 minute commute I was doing at my previous ICU job. Sometimes I feel I made a mistake.

My biggest gripe with working in med surg/telemetry is all the mundane tasks and interruptions during the day that I feel keep me away from actual patient care. Management seems to add more and more little tasks every month to do and often feel like I'm just clicking away at the computer and doing pointless paperwork during the day and with 5-6 patients yelling for pain meds and bed pans all day it's beginning to eat away at my soul to say the least. I've looked into going to the ICU at my current workplace but it seems obtaining a day shift position is almost impossible.

I recently saw some ER day positions at a hospital nearby for the same company and looked into applying. My ER experience is limited to ER ICU and Tele holds, but noticed the pace was a lot different with the RNs around me and noted that a lot of their charting and assessments we're focused as opposed to charting every detail on the floor. My question to peeps on this forum is how many have worked both types of floors and if any would leave the ER for a med surg/tele position, and any pros/cons to leaving floor nursing for ER. As far as my experience I worked in PreOp/Pacu for 9 months, MedSurg/Tele for 2 years, ICU for 1 year. Thanks

I think that you need to pick one thing that is most important to you and let that be your deciding factor when choosing a job. You wanted to learn more but chart less, the job has to be day shift, and you have to work 5 minutes away from your house. It seems like you are looking for a dream job. I always wanted to be an ER Nurse. I work nights which I hate, and drive 45 minutes to work. I pass by three other hospitals on my way to work.

ER nursing takes a very specific personality to succeed. It isn't something that I'd advice anyone to randomly apply for simply to work day shift. It is nothing like the ICU. If you want to work in the ICU than either work nights, change hospitals, or wait until a day shift position opens up.