Published Mar 5, 2010
johnnyDoGood
121 Posts
can someone give me advice on how to land a job in ER nursing right after school?
nyteshade, BSN
555 Posts
Before the nursing job bubble broke, I saw many hospitals offering new grad positions in the ER. Only way to truly know is to apply when you get to that.
Good luck
caeRn
75 Posts
your junior year apply for nurse extern/intern position in ER at the facilty you want to pursue. From my experience, if you extern with them they rare likely to hire you as a new grad because they already know what kind of worker you are. I extern program in ICU best thing i ever did. I learned so much and then i was hired as new grad and confident from my extern experience.
dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I
1,163 Posts
I worked ER and level 1 trauma centers for over 20 years, EMT before that. Based on that, my suggestion is that you work Med/Surg for a couple years, take TNCC (trauma nurse core curiculumn) whenever the opportunity arrises (ALL nurses should take this course, IMHO) and get ACLS. Float to the ER whenever you can. With that solid background you'll do well when you get a chance to work in the ER.
If you're too impatient, you can apply directly to the ER when you finish nursing school. Be forewarned though, this is also the fastest way to lose a job in the ER, and it will devestate you. Going dirctly from school to the ER is like getting your drivers licence and going right into the Indy 500.
If you are able to work as a tech in the ER while in school, it's a big plus.
Keep in mind that ER nursing is backwards. When you're assigned a patient on the floor, you first look at the diagnosis. In the ER, a diagnosis is the last thing the patient gets before being discharged. But the nursing care must be done either way.
ER's by their nature are chaotic. Prioritization is one of the most important skills for and ER nurse, and it never stops from the time you punch in till you punch out. Hope all this helps. Good luck in your career
wlb06
155 Posts
Im a new grad in May. Ive got a job lined up at a local ER, but I did my preceptorship in one, and then they offered me a job. I would try to get involved in the ER before you graduate.
kristenohiorn
4 Posts
Hello,
I worked in the ED as an ED tech through school and I was lucky enough to be picked to role transition in my department showing off my clinical skills and critical decision making abilities, then I was forced to go to Tele for 6 months as a new grad before I was eligable to work in the ED, and I had to satisfy ACLS, PALS, and TNCC.
Best of luck, but if you can get your foot in the door during school then that is absolutely your best bet to land your dream job... it is worth the effort to be an ED RN, I wouldn't work anywhere else!
Kristen:nurse: