Want to work in ER

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Hello,

I’m a new RN who accepted a new grad RN type training program in med surg. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and intend to be loyal to my unit for my contracted time (1 year), but the truth is I really enjoyed my clinicals in the ER. I’ve asked, but there is no way for me to be cross trained, and apparently I cannot even pick up shifts in the ER.

How can I get experience or training or hours in a position that will lead me to working an ER?

Thanks all

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Specializes in Emergency Room, CEN, TCRN.

My ER typically only hires new grads that did their capstone clinicals in the department. We hire experienced ER and critical care Nurses, very rarely do they hire floor nurses. I worked a cardiac step down unit and after a year of applying they finally gave me a shot.
 

pretty much, get experience in a critical care area and then transfer to the ER or find an ER who will hire new grads.

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Thank you, kind of what I expected. Do you suggest I change hospitals since I can probably get into trauma PCU right away at a different local hospital… and trauma pcu is at least closer to ED than med surg… or any thought on how I can get there from here?
 

Thanks again

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Specializes in NICU.
On 8/2/2021 at 9:16 PM, JackThunder said:

How can I get experience or training or hours in a position that will lead me to working an ER?

Oh you have much to learn young Jedi---

You must be prepared and experienced to work in the ER,you need to be certified in ACLS for adult and child,    for starters  .The med surg experience will serve you well,wanting and liking the area you did in a school rotation is no where near the same as being independently responsible for the variety of ill persons needing emergency care,School does not even cover first aid procedures.Study hard,learn as much as you can ,when they float you around ,guage how well you tolerated the strangeness of another unit.Good luck.

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Specializes in Emergency.

The ER's in my area typically hire new grads. But I would say a year in med Surg will be great experience. I'm sure getting your ACLS couldn't hurt. 

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I have the ACLS but not PALS yet. I plan on picking that up. Anything else in addition to a year of med surg and possibly floating to ER that might help me get there when the time comes?
 

Thanks again 

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On 8/5/2021 at 10:11 AM, JackThunder said:

Do you suggest I change hospitals since I can probably get into trauma PCU right away at a different local hospital… and trauma pcu is at least closer to ED than med surg…

I wouldn't worry about this. There are a vast number of ED patients with downright med/surg complaints.

You wouldn't be able to pick up ED shifts without ED training. Picking up shifts means you can handle an ED assignment. BUT....I wouldn't take their initial word about cross-training as the final answer. Once you are holding your own with your med-surg assignments I definitely would revisit the cross-training thing and ask around. Let the house supervisor know you're willing to help out in ED. Let the ED manager know you're enjoying your med-surg job and doing well and are interested in cross-training and ultimately interested in an ED position.

Good luck!

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Sounds like the most likely path. Will do. Thanks.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, CEN, TCRN.

Float pool is also a potential path to the ED at my hospital — you get trained for all the specialty floors so you can handle pretty much most of what we see besides traumas. we frequently use the float pool to board ED pts who don’t have beds upstairs. We get to know them pretty well and some of them end up getting hired on to the ER if they’re willing to give up the differential they get.

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