How'd You Get Your ER Job?

[commonsense]

I'm hoping to find an Emergency Room job when I graduate next year and was wondering how everyone found their job. My plan is to look for openings that do not require experience, just prefer it, then show up on the unit in professional clothing with my resume and hand it to the ER Director in person. I figure a face-to-face introduction shows much more initiative than submitting an online application. How did everyone else land their emergency job?

[Lifeisabeach]

question to anyone who will reply.......

i did med/surg for about 5 months... it about killed me. so i went into the field of infertility for the last 11 years. no hospital just office based.. so my practice in NV is closing its doors at the end of the month and my M.D. has some pull and i mentioned to her that i liked the adrenal rush but i like the down time... what kind of suicide am i doing if i apply as an ER nurse that has not done any acute care for the last 11 years.. i learn quick im 45 yrs of age.. just looking for some advise from anyone that knows.. my job ends at the end of the month and i got to figure out a plan of what i need to do. oh by the way las vegas is the worst state to get a job... i will take suggestions from anyone. PS i really do not want med surg ever again, but that is if what i have to do to suck it up then i guess i will take it. DO NOT WANT MED SURGE but suggestions are more than welcomed as i am so new to job seeking stuff. HELP!!!

[vanburbian]

I went back to ER after being away form bedside nursing for 9 years- and I am 51.

It was, and still is, hard.

Keep in mind however, ER is a lot of "med surg", in a way.

You just generally don't have to put up with any PIA's longer than a few hours for the most part.

[shawsta]

Quick question to those ER TECH's:

I've been a EMT for almost 4 years, worked 2. 1 year inter-facility transports the 2nd year as a EMT at a theme park. I've taken phlebotomy and a few other AHA courses for ECG purposes and have been looking for a ER tech job for a while. The few interviews I had were concerned about not having hospital experience. Any advice on getting hired in the ED?

Also, I start nursing school in feb 2012. I talked to one HR representative who told me not to list that I would be going to nursing school as they would not like my availability. I thought the opposite of HR. Any advice on that?

Thanks

[Robublind]

Quick question to those ER TECH's:

Also, I start nursing school in feb 2012. I talked to one HR representative who told me not to list that I would be going to nursing school as they would not like my availability. I thought the opposite of HR. Any advice on that? Thanks

I agree with the HR rep.

Not that I think you should lie but if they didn't ask if you are going to nursing school, I would keep it private. Why?First, they don't want you to practice your new found nursing skills without an RN after your name. Some RN going to tell you 'yeah its ok to go stick that foley into that pt' Liability. Second, you are only going to be a tech for 2 yrs, training cost money and a lifer is going to save me from the work of hiring someone new in 2 yrs. Lastly, nursing school is hard, lots of work with little time. That means sick calls, time off, no I cant work that day I'm in class, Ive got a test tomorrow or Ive just finished a 12 hr clinical day. Nursing students are a pain in the ass for management and if you are sitting across the table telling me you are a nursing student, I don't see a great employee, I see more work for me. As a general priniciple, when applying for a position, you want to give the impression that this job is the greatest thing since sex on the beach minus the sand in the cracks and once you have it you are not going anywhere. So how to get in. Top three jobs of our techs: ECG, splints and transports. Know those jobs and you will have an easier time getting hired. But also look at the unit secretary jobs. I think they have a better shot a being hired as an RN then a tech. Even those not in the ER

[spencerma2]

Very few new grad RN who have NOT worked as ER techs have the ability to do well for a long time.. why? EXPERIENCE. The RN's who have not worked ICU or Med Surg before ER are lacking basics nursing skills so use poor choices of techniques, do inappropriate short cuts with procedures, especially sterile ones, among a few of my observations of working for decades in ERs from NC to HI. Some cases in point: Med Surg and ICU don't start IV's in AC areas as first choices, they make sure they use the best sterile techniques for foley insertions. Two big problems with hospital acquired infections: urine and IV sites.

I have other complaints about inexperienced nurses being used in ER, lack of maturity, professional and social, poor work ethics, too much socialization and fraternization ON THE JOB during work hours, lack of knowledge of where nursing was in the past, where is now and where it should be going.

NURSES need to have med surg skills down to second nature first, then add ER skills.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

Very few new grad RN who have NOT worked as ER techs have the ability to do well for a long time.. why? EXPERIENCE. The RN's who have not worked ICU or Med Surg before ER are lacking basics nursing skills so use poor choices of techniques, do inappropriate short cuts with procedures, especially sterile ones, among a few of my observations of working for decades in ERs from NC to HI. Some cases in point: Med Surg and ICU don't start IV's in AC areas as first choices, they make sure they use the best sterile techniques for foley insertions. Two big problems with hospital acquired infections: urine and IV sites.

I have other complaints about inexperienced nurses being used in ER, lack of maturity, professional and social, poor work ethics, too much socialization and fraternization ON THE JOB during work hours, lack of knowledge of where nursing was in the past, where is now and where it should be going.

NURSES need to have med surg skills down to second nature first, then add ER skills.

So, basically, new grads in the ER without tech experience all suck and all med surg and ICU nurses are awesome? Ok. Except the issues you bring up seem more to me like failures of orientation processes (defaulting to the AC) and character flaws(laziness, unprofessional behavior, choosing to cut corners on sterile technique). I'm not really sure how time on another unit would cure a character flaw, and orientations are fixable.

Just so you know, not all new nurses are new to the adult world of work, so some of us did come with maturity and good work ethics. Also, the med surg nurses at my hospital tend to be quick to call the IV team when they have an IV to start, but I don't hold that against med surg nurses everywhere.