No one prepares for it but when someone experiences a traumatic injury or faces a sudden serious illness, they rely on the skilled professionals to work quick. A nurse’s ability to react quickly can be the difference between life and death. While challenging, becoming an Emergency Room nurse can also be rewarding. You may have a few questions about how to become an emergency room nurse? What are the responsibilities of an emergency room nurse? What are the work settings? How much does a registered nurse make? We will answer all those questions and more to help you understand how to become an emergency room nurse.
How To Become An Emergency Room Nurse: Education and Certification Needed
To become an emergency registered nurse, follow these three steps and recommendations.
- Get your education. That means completing a bachelor’s degree program, an associate’s degree program or another approved nursing degree program. Courses you will need to take include physiology, chemistry, nutrition, behavioral sciences and psychology.
- Get your license. Once you decide that an emergency nurse career is the right choice, you’ll need to take the steps necessary to become a registered nurse. This means that passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
- Become certified. Getting a certification can help advance your career and help you stand out from other candidates. There are many options for certification. One option is the Certified Emergency Nurse credential offered by the Emergency Nurse Association.
How To Become An Emergency Room Nurse: Job Description and Work Experience
Emergency room nurses are registered nurses who provide direct care to critically injured patients. When patients arrive to their work setting, emergency room nurses must begin work immediately. They must be familiar with these procedures and be confident that they can perform them. Some of these procedures may include:
- order X-rays for injured limbs
- order scans and other tests for victims of head trauma
- prescribing pain medication for injured patients
- setting broken bones
- delivering babies
As an emergency registered nurse, you can work in a variety of settings. In an emergency room setting, there are no scheduled appointments. As an emergency registered nurse, you have to be ready for anything at any time. Be prepared to deal with a wide range of injuries and illnesses as patients arrive. This is where not only quick reaction time, but skill comes to play.
How To Become An Emergency Room Nurse: Salary and Job Outlook
Because of the wide range of skills needed and responsibilities, emergency registered nurses will always to be in high demand. The number of job openings may vary depending on the location and organization. However, according to the Nurse Journal, emergency nurses should see an increase in opportunity by about 26% over the next decade. Ways to increase your emergency registered nurse salary include more education, certification, and consider travel nursing. Many travel nurses with acute-care experience earn over $100,000 per year when all benefits and allowances are included.
Host Healthcare Travel Nurse
As an emergency nurse, you are an important part of the medical team, helping people when they need you the most. At Host Healthcare, our mission is to provide you and every healthcare professional we encounter with the highest level of service. We believe in honesty, respect, and a commitment to quality with our clients, our healthcare professionals, and our corporate employees. Host Healthcare offers an extensive list of travel nurse jobs. Call one of our friendly recruiters at (800) 585-1299 to find your ideal job.
