Multiple specialties or more experience....which is better?

[liser79]

Hello.

I am a current nurse working on my first year in the ER. Previously I worked on the floor for one year. My husband will be graduating nursing school and we would like to travel together after he obtains some experience. My question was... I like ER but have always been interested in OR as well. I even did some shadowing in the OR to confirm my interest. Would it be better for me to just stay in the ER and be more experienced in one specialty or get my 2 years in the ER and transfer to OR and get 2 years there that way I can travel with both specialties? Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks for the input.

[NedRN]

There are some that do it, but traveling with unrelated specialties is difficult. Recent experience is what managers like to see, and if it has been a year or more since the last time you worked in the ER (for example), they will choose a traveler with more recent experience (if they have the option).

While I don't have experience in the ER, the OR can be very specialized. A traveler good in neuro may know nothing about peds or opthalmology. There is also trauma, cardiac, vascular, uro and so on. Can you scrub in addition to circulate? It is hard to be good at all areas, even in your broader specialty. You will not ever be eligible for every travel assignment - I'm not and I've worked in a wide variety of OR services in a wide range of hospitals for the last 20 years.

ER can be like that as well from what I know of it. Teaching hospitals versus community, inner city trauma, peds, fast track, ICU holds, etc. It really takes a super nurse to be good at all of it, or years of experience.

I would recommend focusing on one specialty (and sub-specialty) for traveling. If you get bored enough (really hard to do with so much to learn just in your single specialty), stop traveling and commit to a new specialty.

[swansonmail]

"ER can be like that as well from what I know of it. Teaching hospitals versus community, inner city trauma, peds, fast track, ICU holds, etc. It really takes a super nurse to be good at all of it, or years of experience"

So true about the ER...I have worked it for the past two years and have had to learn all the above-mentioned, while keeping up with the stroke, pediatric and cardiac certifications. Thank you NedRN for the observation: next time I feel I don't measure up, I'll read your post :)

[missnurse01, MSN, RN]

Op are u looking at getting experience in another area to be more marketable for traveling or more for your own satisfaction ? Er and or are usually in high demand , or more bc it is so specialized from what I have seen over the years. If you are happy with er I would stay there to get more experience. I don't think 2 years would b very competitive for traveling in the or. Call a recruiter and ask !

Good luck

[liser79]

Thank you everyone! This really helps. I think I will continue to build my experience in the ER. I have the opportunity to get my CEN and TNCC and maybe even transfer to a level one trauma center before I begin travelling. Your responses helped put my mind at ease. Thanks again!

[missnurse01, MSN, RN]

Great plan !

[MtnRN]

....I guess this old nurse must be super nurse...LOL!!! I agree with the above. Thats where I run into problems. I have multiple specialties and 20+ years experience doing it all and have been working float assignments a lot. My real specialty/love is ortho/trauma. I would like to go back and recert in TNCC and get CEN but not enough time in one place. I often have thought of doing the same staying put and getting one yr or so in ER or NTICU again "but oh Lord that old traveling Jones hits once again" as Lynyrd Skynyrd once said....and off I go!