Psychiatric Nurse to Firefighter and ER Nurse

[Seeing Myself Out]

There has always been a calling for me to go into firefighting, after years of working as a psych nurse. After working 2 acute psychiatric nursing jobs I realized that psych nursing isn't for me. Over the recent past not only I realized that psych nursing isn't for me, but I need to take a break in general. Furthermore, the call for me to become a firefighter became closer to reality when I was accepted into the fire academy a year ago. For nurses who don't know much about the fire services, many firefighter are trained as emergency medical service responders anywhere from EMT-Basics to Paramedics.

Of course, I am too proud to completely quit nursing. I studied hard to get my nursing degree, and I have been working diligently to keep my license. I honestly don't know how exactly I can balance out 2 professions that have 2 distinct skill sets even when patient care can be and usually is a major responsibility for nursing and more often that not firefighting. As far as nursing goes, I always wanted to be an ER or OR nurse. Out of OR and ER, I believe ER would be a better choice once I finish firefighting training and spend some time working or volunteering for a department that tends to respond to more medical than fire calls. I also think that psych nursing experience is more useful to an ER than an OR, since psych hospitals get many patients from the ER and I often treat psych patients with both psychiatric and medical emergency before they were picked up to go back to the ER.

Since I live in California now, it could be difficult to land an ER job without experience in the specialty. I don't really know how to market myself to be employable outside of psychiatric nursing let alone ER nursing. Since I am no longer a new grad, I am held at a higher standard and unlikely to get an adequate orientation even if I get picked up by an ER. Honestly I think I am stuck in psych nursing with little to do other than becoming and working as a paramedic certified firefighter. Any help would be appreciated.

[offlabel]

I've always felt that psychiatric practice gives great skills for everyday living. I still draw on some of my psych stuff from my BSN and that was nearly 30 years ago, the fact that most of my clinical instructors were crazy, notwithstanding.

Heck, join the fire department and do your CEN, trauma, CC or whatever on your days off. There'll be plenty from what I understand! Your nursing license is truly a ticket to ride and at the end of the day, you'll be able to get a job at some ER after jumping through some hoops. No big deal.

I would give the caveat that the OR and ER are as different, for RN's, as spaghetti and meatballs and kung pow chicken. Maybe you know that but I'd tread carefully there, Sport.

In the ER you take care of patients, in the OR you take care of the people taking care of patients.

[ivyleaf]

I like your plan to try firefighting and then transition to er. I am a former psych nurse who has always wanted to work in ed. A year ago I got out of psych by transitioning to my hospital's outpatient clinic as a float. I've gotten to work at an urgent care center and learned how to place IVs, and also learned a lot of assessment skills via phone triage. And now have PEDs exp from the family practice offices.

I live in mass and am no where near a new grad (try 10 yrs) but thru networking I got an interview from my sister hospitals er before I took the clinic job. They called me back for another interview and shadowing about 2 mo after I started at the clinic, and the manager offered me a job, but since it is the same company and I handnt been at my current position for 6mo I couldn't transfer. They told me to reapply in the future.

Right now I like the variety of floating, my coworkers, and the 830-5 m-f schedule of the clinic.. Much less stress than the hospital. But I still troll the er forum and think about reapplying in a few years!

Point is, psych to ed is not impossible :)

[americana419]

You are never stuck in any area of nursing! I recommend that you apply to a tele or ICU position 1st. Stick it out for usually 6 months, then most hospitals let you bid to another department. Get your medical skills sharpened and make a trip down to the ER department. Introduce yourself to the manager. tell them your desires and that you have EMS experience and fire fighting. I think they will want you! Often times ER dept. hire medics and a nurse that has field experience (EMS, fire fighting are often sought after). I say go for it. If you like EMS and fire fighting, you are meant to be in ER. I have worked ER for years, done EMS, 911 dispatch and what this does is broadens your horizon. You see the whole picture from start to end. Good luck and go for it!!!

[Seeing Myself Out]

Thank you for the replies. It seems that there are multiple means to develop myself both personally and professionally. I am already looking at major hospitals with med-psych departments to facilitate the transition.