Questions about ER-Techs

sissiesmama, ASN, RN · May 3, 2009

I posted a similar question in the student forum but figured I might have better luck here....
I'm currently an LPN student, but ultimately I'm hoping to be an ER or ICU nurse. I taking EMT-B courses this summer, and I'm hoping to get a job as an ER tech while I'm going to school...just to get the clinical experience under my belt, and to make sure I'm really cut out for it.
I am hoping to get clarification on a couple things though.
1.) What are the chances of me being hired as an ER tech with virtually no experience? And to get the experience I need, would I be better off working as a CNA for a bit, or working as an EMT?
2.) What exactly do your ER tech's DO? I keep finding conflicting information...One site tells me they can start IV's, another tells me they take blood, and another tells me they clean up bodily fluids
3.) When I get my LPN, will I have a better chance of being hired by the hospital if I have experience in that setting? I live in a state where hospitals do not really hire LPN's, but I'm wondering if that is a scope of practice thing, or if it could be circumvented if I really proved myself in the ER-tech role and they saw I was continuing my education...
Any input and advice is greatly appreciated!

I'm not sure about other facilities, but the ones where I have worked ER the most do require experience in an ER or in the field as EMT, PD, FD, ect.

Here, our ER techs do a little bit of everything. They are indespensible - for the most part, they act as your "right hand man", so to speak. Ours work the desk as ward clerks or secretaries, transport patients, pick up new arrivals from the ER drive in a w/c, ect.

They make sure we are stocked up with essentials, help you as a nurse clean beds in between patients, draw blood, perform caths (all these plus some are after prof. check offs). Ours don't insert IVs - they are trained in drawing blood.

I'm not saying ALL hospitals want someone with experience, but you may want to work as a CNA to gain some experience. As an EMT working in the field, you will gain a world of knowledge - and every little bit helps.

Just my .02 Anne, RNC

Larry77, RN · May 3, 2009

The duties are different for each dept partly because of state laws and partly because of the dynamics of the different dept's. In my current dept the techs do EKG's, vitals, wound preps, ADL's, DC IV's and foleys, assist an RN in triage, irrigate ears, soap suds enemas, and splints to name a few. I have worked in dept's where they draw blood and start foleys though...just depends on the dept's and what certs they require, some have to be EMT's others just have to be CNA's or med assistants.

I think working as an EMT would get you farther than working as a CNA because prehospital and ER have a very close relationship and you would have a good chance at some networking as an EMT.

A couple of our techs are LPN's but do not use their license, I'm not sure how this works because back when I was an LPN I couldn't work as a CNA and actually licensed myself out of a job...so this might be something to check out in the hospital you plan on working in to see what the RN students are doing after they get their LPN license.

Hope this helps a little,

Larry

MattiesMama · May 3, 2009

Thanks for the input guys...

Out of curiosity, do you think I would have been better off going the EMT-paramedic-RN route than doing the LPN thing? I kind of feel like I made a mistake doing it this way...I feel a little duped because I was told my admissions director that I wanted to be an ER nurse and she assured me that I could get a job in a hospital as an LPN while working on my RN in the meantime, but I'm realizing now that she was full of it and I am pretty much going to be stuck in LTC...

I'm starting to freak out a little, because I have put so much time and effort into my LPN program and I'm doing really well...but I'm wondering if I should back out now, since I've only been in it for 3 months and could get some of my money back, and find a Paramedic program instead!

:grn:

Larry77, RN · May 3, 2009

They are so different...paramedic vs LPN/RN...if you want to do prehospital then definitely go to medic school but if you want to work in an ED as an RN then I would stay in nursing school. There are many ways to go about getting in to the ED and some have done it the prehospital route but many more come from the floors or fresh out of school.

Editorial Team / Moderator · May 5, 2009

I wouldn't recommend going to paramedic school unless you want to be a paramedic -- it's a lot more than a stepping stone to RN! I've been an EMT-B since 2001, a paramedic since 2003, and an RN for less than a year. Every now and then I regret not going straight to nursing school back in 2000 when I started EMT, but the truth is that I love being a paramedic, so no regrets.

Back to the original question ... I worked as an ER tech for about 3.5 years before I became an RN. Some of our techs had little/no experience, but received training once hired. I did EKGs, vitals, IVs/blood draws, Foleys, in/out caths ... pretty much whatever needed to be done, and was within my scope. And I kept supplies stocked, did a lot of splinting and crutch training, irrigation/wound care/dressings, etc. Some days I miss being "just the tech," ha ha. Today we had no tech and I had to do all the splinting myself ... good think I know how! I'm grateful for the amount of time I spent doing task-oriented stuff in the ER; those things were the EASY part when I transitioned from tech to nurse. :)