This may be my chance

[exit96]

Been at my current hospital for 1 yr. Been an RN for 1 yr, an LPN 1 yr prior to that. I am on a 22 bed telemetry med/surg floor. This is a rural hospital and this is our only inpatient floor. There are total knees/hips, choly's, appy's, bowel resect's, that I can have gained experience with as far as surgical pt's. I walk 2 blocks to work at this present position. This has been a wonderful job and opportunity.

I am going to be offered a FT ED job which is 25 miles away. I currently work at said facility per diem on med/surg, the drive is no big deal truthfully. Another rural/small town hospital, BUT I am becoming bored with small facility med/surg because the real acute pt's are shipped "downtown." So, while I know I still have much to learn, I will only get "so much" exposure on these med/surg units. I think this may be my "time" to make a change. I want to experience ED, and have been cross trained at my present facility, but there are no opportunities for any consistent ED exposure. If I start at this small town ED it may well be a great orientation to level 1 trama ED after a year or so, assuming that ED nursing is "for me." The "downtown" facility requires ED experience and this would be my "primer." I guess I am just throwing this out there and welcome input. Why wouldn't I make the change??

[amarilla, RN]

Sounds like you've answered your own question! Take the job, try it out and maybe you can stay on per diem while searching for a larger ED after a year or two. Good luck!