Home Health to ER

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So I been in home health most of my career. I pretty much loved the thought of trying the ER but made me a little nervous so I stayed clear of it. I been a nurse for about 18 years and in the process of finishing my BSN. What are the thoughts on giving the ER a try. Still nervous but really tried of being nervous and need a change.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

You can "learn" everything you need to know in the ER. I would think the biggest change would be the physical requirement. I've no idea what your physical lifestyle is but I can see how going from an environment with frequent periods of sitting in an 8 to 10 hour shift to a 12+ hour shift of standing and constant activity might be an adjustment. Otherwise, go for it!

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I'm not worried much about the physical requirement as I am very active runner. I know I can handle the physical aspect, just a bit nervous about the knowledge base. I pretty much have worked with older adults elderly mostly and am looking for a change. Thanks for the encouragement. :)

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

Don't worry about the knowledge part. Like I say, you'll learn everything you need to know on the unit. But keep an open mind re from where you learn. I learned more about starting IVs from an ER tech than I learned from all the RN educators put together.

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

If you're a strong home health nurse, you will be a strong ER nurse. The level of critical thinking and autonomy required by home health nursing lends itself well to a transition to the ER. The hardest part will be learning time management and juggling multiple high-acuity patients. As with any specialty, you should be terrified your first year. Don't get discouraged by that.

I say go for it!

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Specializes in cardiac ICU.

I've also just applied for ED internship and was told that many aspects of emergency/critical care would be learned on the unit. One thing I found of interest was that the hospital that I applied for offered me to have a couple of "shadow shifts" to see if I would like the unit and could see myself fit into it.

Does the ED department you applied for offer "shadow shifts"?

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