What Kind of Experiences before ER

Specialties Emergency

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I was just wondering what kind of experiences and for how long before you went to the ER. Also, what made you transition to ER nursing. Thank You!

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I am moving to ER next week at a different hospital. I have about a year of med-surg and about a year of tele and rehab. I am tired of running up and down the floor to fill customer service requests and do secretary work and I hate documentation taking up all my time. I am sick of dealing with those patients who are never satisfied no matter how much you bend over backward. I'm looking to grow my skills and get some good experience and actually feel like a nurse all the time, except some of the time.

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@Lev

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Yeah, two years in and already tired.

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I was about 2 years in nursing total. PCU/tele/ICU. I knew when I graduated nursing school that I wanted ER. It's the reason I went to nursing school in the first place =)

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ER can be a blast, but it requires a certain type of person. Before I was in nursing school, I knew I always wanted ER. I started in cardiac stepdown (telemetry, progressive, then ICU), small ER, then teaching ER and Trauma. I think the best kinds of nurses are those who can do ICU and ER because they can think on an advanced critical level but know when its time to stop micromanaging and know how to prioritize. The units are different beasts entirely and sometimes attract totally different personalities. ICU tends to attract people who are more detail oriented and ER attracts the adrenaline junkies. Some mesh, some dont. ER may energize you and keep you on that adrenaline rush, but there is a VERY high turnover rate due to the high burn out (almost equal to that of oncology) so dont be surprised if you're feeling it after about 5 years. If you're a person who gets bored easily, then ER is for you. I've been doing it since 1998 and never does a day go by when I dont learn something new. Getting a solid background in ICU will make you the best ER/Trauma nurse so dont skip out on your essential med-surg or ICU beforehand.

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I did a year of med-surg and then moved into the ER of a small, rural hospital. About 1.5 years after that, I added a part-time ER gig at a small community hospital. I finally moved into a Level I trauma center where I've been for about 2.5 years.

I made the move because m/s bored me to tears...

The ED can be a good fit but it does get tiring hearing every epithet in the book routinely hurled our way, working with unrealistic docs who expect us to miraculously complete orders on disruptive or violent patients, and routinely getting blasted by some of the nurses on the ICUs for trivial matters.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I worked for about 6 years total....6 months pedi, the rest ICU and Cath lab. I got pulled to the ED because I was the only one willing from ICU and LOVED IT.....that was 1986 I believe.

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I did 2+ years in med/surg before taking the jump to ER. Get some codes under your belt (although I know these are scary on the floor). Get used to seeing people crash…hard. I think some of our most valuable nurses came from ICU. Moving to the ER is a game changer, but I wouldn't ever go back to floor nursing, ever! Sure, there is more stress in the ER, but the team work with other nurses and providers is like no other kind of nursing you will experience.

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

I was an LVN prior, in various settings, but some very useful, I feel more competent with developmentally delayed patients then most others.

I did three brutal years in critical care, kept going to new ICUs thinking that each just wasn't a good "fit." Learned some awesome skills including CRRT. Realized that maybe it wasn't the hospitals that were the problem, more likely the unit after my last ICU made the mistake of floating me to ER. I fell in love with the ER.

But you know what? My three years of critical care torture was worth it, I don't freak out in codes, I don't freak with vents, I run to initiate the drips because I'm comfortable with them. It's always nice to be useful and quick when a patient is crashing. I like being useful.

However, peds patient's still scare me.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Worked as an ER tech while in nursing school, knew that's where I wanted to be.

When I graduated there where no jobs.

So did my time in a SNF

Then a pediatric LTC for a few years

Then got hired in a children's hospital my unit did a bit of everything ortho, neuro, trauma eating disorders, rehab.

Loved when I had the trauma pts and the ortho kids. Stayed for 1.5 yrs until 2 months ago moved to the Pediatric ER.

So far I love it! Like my mother ship has called me home.

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I am sick of dealing with those patients who are never satisfied no matter how much you bend over backward.

Your still going to have this particular problem in the ER as well. No getting around it. At least 50% of the people that come in through my door are not satisfied no matter what we do for them.

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