Which specialty to choose?

[Alexxoxox]

If you were offered an RN position in all of the following units, which would you choose, and why?

1. ER/ Trauma RN

2. OR RN

3. ICU RN

[NurseRoRo]

I have worked in the OR but not the other two, so I would still say, OR. I know for my personality and learning style, I don't think I can handle the amount of adrenaline, focus, and multi-tasking in the ER or ICU. I loved working in the OR because yes, there was multi-tasking and limited time to turnover rooms, but there was also time to take a breath and watch surgery. I loved watching how surgeons worked, like artists, almost.

[ERRNKt]

ER all the way. ER is nice because you get high acuity patients, get them stabilized, then send them to ICU/CCU or elsewhere. You do LESS dirty work/wiping butts/measuring I&O's etc... you get exposure to just about everything. You'll get more continuing education courses with it too such as ACLS, PALS, TNCC, NRS, etc. I've been working in ER for 2 years and love, but I am starting to get burnt out. I'm looking at maybe NP school...I will say ER gives you great exposure to a lot of fast, critical thinking with labs/xrays/meds/scans etc. IT's a great area, but maybe not for long-term!

[purplegal]

I would welcome any of those specialties because they all sound amazing in their own way. I would be honored to be selected for any of them, although I probably never will be. My top choice would be ICU because of the complexity of the patients and all of the knowledge you need to have. ICU nursing seems like a grand thing to do with your life.

[Agatha12]

If I had that choice before I got my first job, I would definately go for ICU. However, I started on very busy surgical ward and after 2 years decided I need to change to something quiet and with less relatives contact and no nights. I am happy with PACU now but sometimes feeling like going to ICU still but I dont want to work night shifts.

On the other hand, there are plenty other interesting specialties which are worth exploring.

[suzil]

I think it depends on your personality. I've worked all the areas except in the OR. I've worked Pre-Op and PACU. There is usually a lot of call with OR. But very different styles of nursing to consider with each specialty.

[serenitylove14]

Whichever one had the least amount of stress, highest pay, best worklife balance, and nicest coworkers....

[vintage_RN, BSN, RN]

I work in the NICU, but out of those three I would choose ICU. I love critical care. ER is too uncontrollably chaotic to me, I like my i's dotted and my t's crossed and everything in it's place. OR doesn't interest me.

[RockinNurse2018]

Any of them but my own goal is to end up in a cardiovascular surgery/transplant ICU. So I'd say ICU

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

dunno much about OR but ER/ICU can be broken down by personality type, since they are both highly specialized but almost polar opposites.

if you find yourself :

wanting new assignments on an hour by hour basis/shift by shift basis

being a jack of all trades

mastering nothing

high stress

usually constantly being mobile

direct interaction with mds

having unpredictable and unstable patients

having unpredictable and unstable patients while juggling other stable patients

seeing "frequent flyers" come in for extremely mundane chief complaints

dealing with erratic, drug seeking, mentally unstable pts

developed coping mechanism with no only death, but also traumatic deaths/pediatric deaths and trauma

following protocol but under a less "structured" environment (basically, get em stable and get it done by any means necessary)

this is pretty typical of a high acuity level 1 or 2 trauma er hospital

I mixed in the pros and cons indiscriminantly as to not over demonize or over glamourize any given aspect

if you find yourself however:

enjoying structure

enjoying protocol

dealing with 1 or 2 (extremely) sick patients

dealing with docs only when you need to update or need new orders

very technical drugs

very meticulous charting

somewhat more predictable assignments

having the same pt for several hours/shift/weeks at a time

having a more intimate relationship with both the pt and their families

the icu might be more your bag

and if you like money, go the OR haha

[walkingrock, ADN]

OR

Not a lot of interaction with the patient or their family, routine, work with smaller group of same people. Surgery is interesting.

[Neats, BSN]

I would pick non of the above. If I could do over I would pick a radiology specialty like radiation tech (ARRT) for say a 4 year degree and with 10 years experience in radiation you are making upwards of 90,000 annually. If you work in the outpatient setting you work Mon-Friday and holidays off.

Plus once the initial "pin pointing" of the tumor to be radiated is completed radiation should not take much time at all less than 30 mins each patient. If I could not do rad tech I would do dental hygienist where they too make an average of 84,000 annually with 10 years experience and you do not really have to listen to the patient, week ends and holidays off.