ICU

[Birdsofprey, BSN]

Hi!

Is it true that if you are an ICU travel nurse you can travel as an ER nurse or most other specialties (aside from OR) for that matter? 

[NedRN]

Not generally, but I suppose if the facility's need is critical. Unlike ICU, your assigned ED patients can change every few minutes. That seems like a stretch to just jump in. I also think people handling skills are necessary, lot of psych patients in the ED. I'd say you might be able to jump into PACU though. But generally, nurses think their specialty is the hardest. As an OR nurse, I know for sure which specialty is the hardest!

[Birdsofprey, BSN]

2 hours ago, NedRN said:

Not generally, but I suppose if the facility's need is critical. Unlike ICU, your assigned ED patients can change every few minutes. That seems like a stretch to just jump in. I also think people handling skills are necessary, lot of psych patients in the ED. I'd say you might be able to jump into PACU though. But generally, nurses think their specialty is the hardest. As an OR nurse, I know for sure which specialty is the hardest!

NedRN, good points. And also- OR sounds so unique and interesting to me-  it is one of the specialties I would love to try (that and ER)- a friend of mine is training as a circulating nurse and loves it. The only reason I am not going back to staff right now is due to the high pay for Covid travel, which is what I have been doing for a year as Tele/PCU/Med-Surg nurse. I also have heard many times that OR takes up to 2 years to feel comfortable doing(minimum of 1 year), so if I go into that specialty I know I will not be a travel RN for a bit.