Psych nursing and ER nursing-Will it affect my career trajectory?

Specialties Emergency

Published

If I were to work as a psych nurse and wanted to later get back into the ER, would that negatively impact any chance of getting a job as as ER nurse. I know of two people who did that, and they did okay. I think it would be valuable experience given that many psych patients spend hours, even days, in the ER before being placed in an inpatient facility. I just worry about losing medical skills if I were to go into psych nursing. As a new grad, I'll take what I can get now.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Question. Your posts states "get back into" which I assume means your in the ER right now and want to try psych with the option of returning? I wouldn't think that would be a problem since ER and psych seem complimentary. However if you had psych only experience I can see them blanching a little

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No, I'm not in the ER as a nurse. I worked in the ER in a non-nursing role. I am still interested in becoming an ER nurse, but given the pickings for new grads, jobs outside the hospital are where more opportunities lie.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Totally understand that. Take what you can get a hungry unemployed nurse is never a good thing. Worry about the "and then" later.

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