extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ( ECMO ). Most manufacturers have training websites where you can find information . When you become part of the ground transport team , always use a systematic approach and crew resource management ( CRM ) to help make your decisions .
Travel Nursing in Emergency Settings
— Jennifer Whelan , BSN , RN , CEN , Emergency Department , Community Memorial Hospital , Ventura , California , and former travel nurse
Travel nurses are smart , competent , and adaptable professionals who work in varied settings . This gives depth and flexibility to their skills . Travel nursing can benefit your career and help you grow as a nurse .
While you are in school , seek out opportunities to get into the ED setting and soak up any experiences you can . Once you start working , take every opportunity to learn . Chat with physicians about their thought processes and decision making , read through every part of your patients ’ charts , and spend time after your shifts researching the diagnoses you saw to reinforce that information . a few long-term goals . What is important is to have your goals where you can see them . Having a plan can be a stress reliever , too , because you can see where you want to go and what you need to do to get there . The proof , and the rewards , are in taking each step , one after the other , on your way to making your mark in the exciting and rewarding world of emergency nursing .
As Houston Methodist ’ s LaToya Lockett says : Being a frontline nurse can be intimidating at times , especially at the beginning . However , with the right training , the benefits outweigh the downsides . As an emergency nurse for 20 years , I have no regrets . Even as I have grown into a leadership role , I enjoy being at the bedside at least once a week to provide direct patient care . Interacting with a diverse group of patients , seeing a variety of disease processes , advocating for my patients , and being that person to care for the patient , usually in a vulnerable time of their life , feeds my soul . I would have it no other way than to be an emergency nurse for life . n
An adept travel nurse is able to hit the ground running with little to no orientation and feel comfortable and competent . That competence comes from having a few years of experience as a staff nurse in the emergency setting , during which you build your skills and , for many , get certified . National specialty certification not only shows your knowledge of your specialty to others but gives you confidence in your craft . Certification is proof that you can tackle the challenges of various new environments .
Make a Plan , No Regrets The unspoken secret to success that underlies all these high achieving nurses ’ choices and practical advice is to have a personal development plan and write down your goals . This does not have to be extensive — maybe just a few short-term and
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