Where to go after ER nursing

guest464345 · Oct 7, 2019

Rightly or wrongly, employers tend to have a high opinion of ER experience even in completely unrelated settings. So with your current resume, you're probably in a good spot!

Maybe try thinking about what you want and like (instead of what you don't want)....what kinds of hours, what working conditions, what patient populations you like, variety or predictability, a big or small place, hospital vs community vs an office, more on a team or more independent...and then the practical stuff, like how much money you need to make. Check posts on this site and read discussions about different specialties, and start asking people you know about other work they've done, or other jobs they've heard of. Start applying and go on some interviews, treating it as a research project for yourself as well as a job search. You might be surprised at where you end up.

From the ER I went first to public health/epidemiology and then to school nursing It was like landing on another planet, in a good way. ? Good luck!

clkrn10 · Oct 11, 2019

I went to Case Management, and now I work for an insurance company from home.

Wuzzie · Oct 11, 2019

I went to outpatient oncology. No weekends, holidays or nights. Patients that actually need me because they’re sick, very sick but we also get to know them really well. Autonomy, respect from the providers and the chance to use my assessment/critical thinking skills every day. Heaven. But don’t get me wrong. We are super busy seeing upwards of 140 patients a day and sometimes are short-staffed. We don’t have the support that acute care units have when things go south and are usually considered (and talked to) like we are somehow less than “real” nurses. Plus the emotional toll of working in oncology so it’s not all sunshine and roses. Despite all of that I really love what I do and I’m an died-in-the-wool adrenaline junkie.

Mattheww · Jul 20

Hi, this message is for the original poster. Were you able to make a decision? If so, which specialty did you get into. For me, I finished my masters and I am currently studying for the boards, and I too, have a mortgage to pay. I did apply to multiple outpatient clinics, being primary care and cardiology, as most of my interest will be in those areas for my NP practice. I had 7.5 years in the ER and I hear you. It's not just the crazy work load, I also found a lot of people I worked with a little cray cray. And most days, they were the last straw that broke my back LOL...you got lazy people: a code rolls in and all the new nurses are just chillin in the nursing station. CNA's are always missing and they go missing sometimes when you send them on errands. there is no sense of urgency for people WORKING IN THE ER. I KNOW! ACS chest pain rolls in, people take their time with EKG's. people got laid back with following protocols, some didn't even know what they were doing...I hated to be the most senior nurse and ONLY resource person on some days. turnover rates were too high. I and a group of people, with only one remaining by the time I resigned, were the only ones trained under the new graduate residency program guided by an ED & medsurg clinical instructor. For others, it was just a blind leading the blind situation . Now, I've been offered jobs from magnet hospitals, level 1 trauma, multiple ICU's, CTICU, and NO...I'm too old for that. I can handle people, but my back isn't the same and knee is crackin when im bendin LOL I'm not that young nurse with that much enthusiasm and energy to be dealing with trauma, autotransfusions, ecmo, etc.. the days of 1:8 to even 15 on some days are OVER....and I had plenty during the covid pandemic, when I was getting paid pennies by the dollar... Don't get me wrong I LOVE working; I'm a workaholic. somedays, I was actually looking forward to going to work...but IDK I need a change. I'm also undetermined and would like your 2 cents on it. thanks.