Preparation for ER Jobs and Other Travel Nursing Assignments
December 13, 2011 - Q. I have been a nurse for 13 years: a few years in CCU, telemetry, and the past seven years in a BUSY cath lab. Looking to move into the ER, but having difficulty. My plan is to get 2 -3 years of experience there, then do agency/travel. Any suggestions?
A. Well, I would say you are on the right track. Thirteen years is plenty of experience to be a traveler and with your background in critical care, telemetry units, and cath lab I would think you could get a job anywhere. But if ER is the role you wish to travel in, I would get some experience there, like you plan.
Many travel agencies will now hire someone with six months to a year of experience in the area they want to work in. Now this may be alright for some, but can lead to some dangerous scenarios if you are not ready for the different patient acuity that comes with a 1,000 bed hospital. Some people say an ER is an ER, but I’m here to tell you they are not.
All units are not created equal, and as a travel nurse you have to be ready for that and be prepared to jump right in and do your job well; that is what they are paying you for and what your patients deserve. A facility can hire a new grad and train them, but in reality you as a traveler are cheaper in the long run, and, as a bonus, they expect not to have to train you.
When I started traveling I was two years out of school and had worked in the ICU float pool the whole time. I thought I was really rounded in my nursing skills and had a basic understanding, enough to work in any ICU. As you can guess, I was wrong. My first assignment was in a general med/surg ICU in a small hospital. I felt pretty settled there and didn’t have any problem adapting to the traveler role.
My next assignment, however, was in a large teaching hospital working in the medical ICU with the possibility to float to the trauma ICU, cardiac ICU, and the floors. In my interview, the manager warned me that her units where very different than the ones where I had previously worked. She said that she expected me to be able to jump in and take any patient assignment she would give me, and if I couldn’t do that then I better not accept the job. Well, I took the job and was nearly blown away.
I ran around most nights trying to keep up with the pace of a hospital 10 times larger than I had ever worked in before. More than once I thought to myself, “What have I gotten myself into?” But I adapted quickly, and in the end it turned out great; I gained some great experiences and an education on how a large ICU functions. I was also able to recognize the potential for problems if I had overextended my abilities, and took that experience with me into my next assignments.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, make sure you feel comfortable in yours skills before you take an assignment. This is where every nurse is different. Some would have quit an assignment like I described above and left travel nursing forever. Some would have stuck it out and then went back to a smaller setting, and others would have loved the adrenalin and technology that comes with a larger institution and never turned back.
The other advice I have is to really ask questions during your interview. Remember this is a time for you to get to know the facility, as well. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the unit’s patient acuity, staff experience level, and possibilities of floating to units you are not used to; this kind of floating is a reality and you need to be prepared. Talk to your recruiter about the hospital and trust their advice. If they say, “Why don’t we start you off traveling in a smaller unit to get you used to the role of the traveler?” they might be right; listen to them. They have experience in this business and want you to succeed.
As long as you’re confident in your skills and are able to adapt to new situations and challenges, you’ll do fine. Don’t be afraid to jump into a great experience like travel nursing, but also don’t be surprised if it stretches you at times. Be prepared and be confident in yourself as a nurse, and most of all, LTD (live the dream).
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