Pros and Cons of Level I Trauma Center

[isleofjersey]

Hello All!

I am currently a nursing student and I am interested in eventually working in a Level I trauma center. However, I have friends that work in a Level I hospital that mentioned that, although it is busy, the extra protocols involved in maintaining Level I status add a lot of additional stress.

Could anyone tell me the pros and cons of working in a level I trauma center vs. a lower level trauma center? I have access to a level II center nearby, but a level I will eventually necessitate a move to a more urban area.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

[Loo17]

A Level I Trauma Center is capable of providing the highest level of surgical care to trauma patients. They must have surgeons available around the clock, have a research program, be a leader in trauma education and injury prevention, have a surgical residency program, and be a referral resource for services in nearby communities as well as treat a certain number of trauma patients each year. A level II doesn't have to have surgical residents or a research program or see a specific number of patients. A level III does not have as many specialists but can still treat many emergencies, they just have transfer agreements with higher level hospitals to treat the patients they can't after they stabilize them.

I have definitely simplified this but included some links below that better explain it. I work at a level I and have not encountered any additional protocols or stress put on my job in order for my hospital to maintain the status. I don't think I have ever heard any nurse ever mention stress or extra work (At least not that was associated with maintaining the hospital's level I status!) If anything I think there is more training available to me as a nurse and more learning opportunities because it is a teaching facility, which makes me feel more prepared to care for the sickest of the sick patients. Did your friend offer any specifics about what she meant as far as extra protocols and stress?

http://www.cdc.gov/traumacare/access_trauma.html http://www.amtrauma.org/resources/trauma-categorization/index.aspx

[isleofjersey]

Thank you for the response and the links Loo17. My friends didn't specify what extra requirements were necessary. It's possible they meant the requirements that you mentioned for the hospital (although I don't see why they would add stress). The main reason I was curious is because I only have access to a Level II hospital in my area and will likely eventually move to an area with a Level I hospital. I do appreciate the information and will do some additional research.

[TraumaORnurse]

The only difference between a Level I and Level II is the research piece. The majority of stuff to keep certified is on the surgeons. We also have a trauma coordinator that handles a great deal of that. In the OR, we have a few extra competencies a year than before we had our trauma designation, but it's nothing overly time consuming.

[RicRock, MSN, CRNA]

I work at a Level 2 with a few nurses that came from Level 1's.

No "extra" training required for nurses but they do say it's nice to have surgical residents, it's easier to get them to enter their orders!

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

I have worked at a Level 2, but have done predeployment training at a Level 1/dedicated trauma unit. Level 1 was fabulous, the hospital has to meet the requirements. You'd be fine - unless you are being hired as a Trauma Program Manager, which may require a lot of work. Lol. :)