3 answers
Sabrina
Student
West Jordan, Utah
1
Question
Asked
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Im currently working towards becoming an ER nurse but I want to continue my education and go further than that, what career options are there in an ER?
Im currently working towards becoming an ER nurse but I want to continue my education and go further than that, what career options are there in an ER?
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3 answers
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
1093
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Sabrina,
I see, you have a plan and have most of it figured out! That's great!
The minimum requirement for an ER nurse is an associates degree (2 years) to become an ADN. A bachelors degree (4 years) to become a BSN would be preferable though, and many employers require it. There are also shortened ADN to BSN transfer programs if you are doing it in 2 steps. To get your license as a nurse, you need to pass the NCLEX exam. You may or may not be able to get a job in the ER at this point. Maybe you'll end up somewhere else because you fell in love with a different specialization or because an ER job was not available. You can get certified as an Emergency nurse (CEN) after 2 years of experience as a nurse which should help with finding employment in this specific role.
If you want to go further, you can pursue your masters (1-2 years) and doctorate (3-6 years) in nursing (MSN/DNP) to become a nurse practitioner (NP). In order to practice you need to be licensed in your specialty which requires another exam. Another option would be to go into a more managerial role in a hospital.
I have left a couple of links for you below. You can use Indeed or LinkedIn to search for nursing jobs in your preferred area to see what kind of jobs are out there.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
KP
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/education-for-er-nurse
https://nursejournal.org/careers/er-nurse/how-to-become/
https://nursejournal.org/nurse-practitioner/how-to-become-a-np/
I see, you have a plan and have most of it figured out! That's great!
The minimum requirement for an ER nurse is an associates degree (2 years) to become an ADN. A bachelors degree (4 years) to become a BSN would be preferable though, and many employers require it. There are also shortened ADN to BSN transfer programs if you are doing it in 2 steps. To get your license as a nurse, you need to pass the NCLEX exam. You may or may not be able to get a job in the ER at this point. Maybe you'll end up somewhere else because you fell in love with a different specialization or because an ER job was not available. You can get certified as an Emergency nurse (CEN) after 2 years of experience as a nurse which should help with finding employment in this specific role.
If you want to go further, you can pursue your masters (1-2 years) and doctorate (3-6 years) in nursing (MSN/DNP) to become a nurse practitioner (NP). In order to practice you need to be licensed in your specialty which requires another exam. Another option would be to go into a more managerial role in a hospital.
I have left a couple of links for you below. You can use Indeed or LinkedIn to search for nursing jobs in your preferred area to see what kind of jobs are out there.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
KP
Karin recommends the following next steps:
Thank you!!
Michelle M.
Actress
3284
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Sabrina !
I am happy that you are asking for advice because there needs to be some clarification about your perspective on Nursing. You are currently studying to be a Nurse. The degrees do not point to a specific department in a specific provider's office, rather you will get your degree because you will be qualified as a Nurse to take care of all injuries and illnesses of all people in all settings. There is a way that you can build up to working in an ER and it may not be difficult to do.
During your clinicals, you may or may not be sent to work in an emergency department at a hospital. What you'll have to do is, since you want to go far with your education, obtain your Bachelors Degree in Nursing. You will then take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses. The next step will be to decide if you want to get certification (Utah doesn't require it but employers may want you to have it) to be a Certified Emergency Nurse. You then get experience which means you'd have to apply for jobs as a Nurse. Once you become certified in emergency medicine, you can then apply for jobs at hospital emergency departments. You will learn more about the staff of an emergency room as you proceed with your courses in Nursing School or through your clinicals.
Try to focus on the nursing part for right now. Chances are that eventually, once you have experience as a Nurse in a variety of departments and then certification in Emergency Medicine, it may be easy to find ER work as a nurse. The reason why the career is more important than the place is because you'll need to work and there may not always be an opening that you want, you may have to wait, you still have to be chosen and interviewed. In the meantime, you'll need to work so try to be more flexible as you will need a large capacity to be flexible as a nurse.
The staff that you would find in the ER are emergency doctors, nurses, radiologists and triage nurses. It's going to depend on where you work and depending on the patient's circumstances, specialists may be called in.
So my advice is to focus on becoming a Nurse, get the special certification for Emergency Nursing and be open-minded about getting experience in a variety of departments and venues. Continue your training with conferences, trainings and in-services and obtain as many certifications as you can for various things connected to health and nursing. Make strong connections with your academic advisor because they have the experience and the knowledge about things in Utah.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
I am happy that you are asking for advice because there needs to be some clarification about your perspective on Nursing. You are currently studying to be a Nurse. The degrees do not point to a specific department in a specific provider's office, rather you will get your degree because you will be qualified as a Nurse to take care of all injuries and illnesses of all people in all settings. There is a way that you can build up to working in an ER and it may not be difficult to do.
During your clinicals, you may or may not be sent to work in an emergency department at a hospital. What you'll have to do is, since you want to go far with your education, obtain your Bachelors Degree in Nursing. You will then take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses. The next step will be to decide if you want to get certification (Utah doesn't require it but employers may want you to have it) to be a Certified Emergency Nurse. You then get experience which means you'd have to apply for jobs as a Nurse. Once you become certified in emergency medicine, you can then apply for jobs at hospital emergency departments. You will learn more about the staff of an emergency room as you proceed with your courses in Nursing School or through your clinicals.
Try to focus on the nursing part for right now. Chances are that eventually, once you have experience as a Nurse in a variety of departments and then certification in Emergency Medicine, it may be easy to find ER work as a nurse. The reason why the career is more important than the place is because you'll need to work and there may not always be an opening that you want, you may have to wait, you still have to be chosen and interviewed. In the meantime, you'll need to work so try to be more flexible as you will need a large capacity to be flexible as a nurse.
The staff that you would find in the ER are emergency doctors, nurses, radiologists and triage nurses. It's going to depend on where you work and depending on the patient's circumstances, specialists may be called in.
So my advice is to focus on becoming a Nurse, get the special certification for Emergency Nursing and be open-minded about getting experience in a variety of departments and venues. Continue your training with conferences, trainings and in-services and obtain as many certifications as you can for various things connected to health and nursing. Make strong connections with your academic advisor because they have the experience and the knowledge about things in Utah.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1464
Answers
Australia
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Hey Sabrina, I love your ambition! You’re already aiming high by working toward becoming an ER nurse, but the good news is, there’s a whole smorgasbord of opportunities waiting for you in the ER world. Think of it like a career buffet—so many tasty options to pick from!
If you're thinking about taking it a step further, you could dive into the role of a nurse practitioner (NP). As an ER NP, you’d be able to assess, diagnose, and treat patients, sometimes even more independently than a nurse. It’s like leveling up in a video game—more responsibility, but also more rewards (and possibly less "busy work").
Another option is nurse anesthesia. If you like the idea of working in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, but with a twist of making people nap peacefully during surgery, becoming a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) might be your thing. You get to be a crucial part of the team, with a pretty sweet paycheck.
But maybe you’re feeling the call to leave the bedside entirely and step into the world of nurse leadership or management. As a nurse manager or clinical nurse leader, you'd be running the show, making decisions, and ensuring things in the ER are running smoothly. Think of it as being the captain of the ship while still keeping your nursing roots intact.
If you’re more on the “I love learning new things” side, consider going into education. Teaching future nurses or helping to shape the next generation of ER professionals could be a seriously rewarding path.
And for the ultimate in excitement, you could even look into becoming a trauma nurse practitioner or emergency medical services (EMS) instructor. You’d be at the forefront of the action, training people who’ll save lives, and even working on policy or disaster preparedness. It's like being a superhero, but with a stethoscope instead of a cape.
So, whether you're looking to stay at the bedside or make your way up the leadership ladder, there are a ton of options to continue your journey in the ER world. Just keep following your passion, and you'll keep unlocking new doors—who knows, you might even end up being the one training the next generation of ER nurses while sipping coffee in a fancy office somewhere. 😎👩⚕️💉
All the best of lucks Sabrina, you got this cause I believe you do.
If you're thinking about taking it a step further, you could dive into the role of a nurse practitioner (NP). As an ER NP, you’d be able to assess, diagnose, and treat patients, sometimes even more independently than a nurse. It’s like leveling up in a video game—more responsibility, but also more rewards (and possibly less "busy work").
Another option is nurse anesthesia. If you like the idea of working in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, but with a twist of making people nap peacefully during surgery, becoming a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) might be your thing. You get to be a crucial part of the team, with a pretty sweet paycheck.
But maybe you’re feeling the call to leave the bedside entirely and step into the world of nurse leadership or management. As a nurse manager or clinical nurse leader, you'd be running the show, making decisions, and ensuring things in the ER are running smoothly. Think of it as being the captain of the ship while still keeping your nursing roots intact.
If you’re more on the “I love learning new things” side, consider going into education. Teaching future nurses or helping to shape the next generation of ER professionals could be a seriously rewarding path.
And for the ultimate in excitement, you could even look into becoming a trauma nurse practitioner or emergency medical services (EMS) instructor. You’d be at the forefront of the action, training people who’ll save lives, and even working on policy or disaster preparedness. It's like being a superhero, but with a stethoscope instead of a cape.
So, whether you're looking to stay at the bedside or make your way up the leadership ladder, there are a ton of options to continue your journey in the ER world. Just keep following your passion, and you'll keep unlocking new doors—who knows, you might even end up being the one training the next generation of ER nurses while sipping coffee in a fancy office somewhere. 😎👩⚕️💉
All the best of lucks Sabrina, you got this cause I believe you do.