New Grad ED vs Trauma ICU

[lesleyt1015]

So I am a new grad and I was just offered two different jobs at the same hospital following my interviews but I am having a hard time deciding what would be a better fit for me. I did my senior preceptorship in a Level 1 Trauma ED and loved it. I loved all of the traumas and cardiac arrests and the faced paced environment of the ED.

Deciding between:

Job Offer #1: ED in a Level 1 Trauma Center

Job Offer #2: SICU/Trauma ICU at the same hospital (so Level 1 Trauma Center as well)

Both seem like amazing opportunities and both have aspects that I want/dont want.

ED- Traumas as soon as they come in, wide variety of cases, manager was super nice, TNCC/ACLS/other certs paid for, fast paced, good hours, and did a preceptorship so semi comfortable in an ED but do not like the boring cases such as colds or sore throats or do not know if I will start out on traumas right away

Trauma ICU- Still get the trauma cases & will be able to work with the patients longer than in the ED, see SICU patients as well, work with different equipment such as Vents, Drips, ECMO, etc, but it is rotating days/nights which would be difficult and it is not as fast paced.

Just looking for some input. :)

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

I work in a level one trauma icu and I love it. You have to look at the overall picture of each. I will tell you it's very hard work. The ED is still an ED even if it's a level one. You still deal with all the ED entails. Some people love it. When a trauma comes, ED is first on the line once they reach the hospital. In trauma icu we get them after the ED. They are some of the sickest of the sick and there is a lot to do.

The ED gets to ship them off to us and wipe their hands clean of it, where we take care of them until the are ready for a regular bed. If they make it that far. But the ED has to deal with all of the other patient populations that comes with it.

So, you need to decide what you want to work with. They may both be level one trauma jobs, but they are two completely different jobs. What I like about icu is we are constantly on the move and constantly giving patient care. It makes the nights go quickly. But I do know it can be extremely overwhelming and very sad at times.