Published
Nursing school is stressful enough, work as a monitor tech / unit secretary, It is less physically/emotionally demanding than working as an er tech and knowing rhythms and interacting with all the physicians/ordering systems/other depts as a secretary is invaluable experience for a nursing student. Working in a lot of areas will give you an advantage because you will know who's a good nurse manager, what floors have a good atmosphere.
I'd say the ER position to get the patient care, but then, the float experience can be invaluable. I work as a CNA (some nurses let me do skills) in a float pool, and it REALLY helps be comfortable on the floor and just being around other RNs gives you experience (some positive, some negative). If you can get a hands-on patient care position with the float, I'd go for that!
From my opinion..I was able to work in the ER as a LPN where I worked at. I floated Med/Surg and ER. I really loved the ER experience, but some people i worked with did not. So if you maybe have a chance to do a little of everything to get the feel of what area you may like. As for me I did not enjoy Med/Surg very much but everyone has different taste..Good luck whatever you do.
jennafezz
399 Posts
I currently work in a hospital, in a totally non-clinical position. I'm starting nursing school in a couple of weeks, and I'm thinking I want to switch to a new job in my hospital that puts me closer to patients. I'm trying to figure out what direction I should go in. I want to go with whatever is going to help me get hired at the hospital as a nurse, and what will help me become a better nurse.
a) Become a unit secretary/monitor technician and float around to multiple departments, mostly telemetry, some med/surg, some OB, some ICU.
Positives: I'd get to experience multiple hospital units and meet some key people that will help me get hired on as a nurse when I graduate. I'd get to know the units I'd most likely be working on as a new grad nurse, since new grads here pretty much only go to med/surg or telemetry.
Negatives: Not actual patient care. Watching monitors is a little boring.
b) Become an ER tech. Only work in the ER.
Positives: Patient care, which is important! And I really like the ER.
Negatives: I wouldn't have the opportunity to work in other departments. I wouldn't get to know as many people. I also assume this would probably be a slightly more stressful position.. but maybe that's a good thing.
What would you do?
Neither of these positions are open right this second but something will come up eventually for them. I'm qualified for the unit sec/monitor tech right now and I'd be qualified for the ER tech in a few months.