Help a CCU nurse move over to ED nursing.

ChadlyRN · Apr 9, 2014

I'm in the same boat. I'm transferring from a Med/Surg ICU to the ED. I'd love to see some tips :-)

Be the type of nurse you want to work with.

SHANNONDESIRE · Apr 9, 2014

I hate that I hear so much that ICU nurses hate ED nurses and vice versa. That's just sad and I really hope it's not that way at the new hospital. I just want to love my job again. I got burnt out in CCU, so I'm hoping ED will give me a better perspective.

Emergent, RN · Apr 9, 2014

Your ICU skills will really help with ICU type pts. Otherwise, you'll need to be problem focused, and less intensive in your approach.

The thing I sometimes hate about ICU nurses is this: They have 12 hrs, with 2 pts, to acquaint themselves with their pts, their labs, the intricacies of their care. I, on the other hand, have had maybe an hour with the, obviously unstable, pt. I WON'T be giving the detailed report that ICU nurses value because, I've been too busy keeping them ALIVE!

And, you won't have the time to give fantastic bedbaths either. Concentrate on the ABCs!

zmansc, ASN, RN · Apr 9, 2014

First congrats! The fact that you are concerned tells me you will do fine. Really, their is a big difference in time management as has been alluded to already, but your skills and knowledge of what the patient needs are already there, you will just need to adjust how you approach the patient and that will come rather quickly.

I work with several nurses who work in both the ICU and the ED and they do fine in both environments. The only issue they had in retrospect was adjusting to the approach in the ED vs in the ICU. I love working with them too, because they do bring a different perspective to the patient, and I it helps me to remember that there is more to it than to pull the pt back out of the drain pipe. Maybe my facility is different, but I think the ICU and ED folks get along fairly well.

Good Luck!

SHANNONDESIRE · Apr 9, 2014

Thanks guys! There definitely are so many things that I will have to learn and get adjusted to if I do get the job in the ED. It definitely is a completely different perspective. I just need to figure out how to take care of more than 2 pts at a time! I'm sure it will be ok. I'm just nervous.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Apr 14, 2014

I eased myself into it. I worked on a PCU, got floated to the ED a lot and decided that I love the ED so I made the switch. One of the hardest things for me was to adapt to ED assessments, which are based on the patient's chief complaint. You don't do a FULL head to toe assessment on everybody walking through the door and look through every crack and crevice on their skin like you do on the floor. I also had to ditch my floor brain sheet because I quickly realized those just do not fly in the ED. A paper towel, alcohol swab, dressing package, gloved hand (the list goes on...) is much better :). The turnover of patients is just too high.

SHANNONDESIRE · May 10, 2014

I was offered the ED job and I start in June! I'm excited but really nervous too!