ER Nurses vs ICU Nurses: Exploring the Key Differences in Roles and Responsibilities

Title image for the blog on the topic "ER Nurses vs ICU Nurses"

A hospital where ER nurses are in constant motion trying to stabilize a critical patient whereas an ICU nurse makes sure that the patient on ventilator remains stable by checking from hour to hour. Both ICU nurses and ER nurses have high pressure critical jobs, but what set them apart? Let us discuss the difference between ICU vs ER nurses.

What are ICU Nurses?

ICU nurses, also known as Critical Care nurses, are specialized nurses who take care of critically ill patients. These patients are facing life and death situation and needs constant monitoring. ICU nurses make sure that their condition remains stable by checking on them constantly. ICU nurses work in intensive care units of the hospitals.

What are Emergency Room Nurses?

Emergency room nurses are registered nurses that provide urgent care to the patients who are in critical condition or in life-or-death situations. They quickly assess the patient and provide urgent care accordingly without any delay. ER nurses work in the emergency department of the hospitals.

The difference between ICU nurse’s vs ER nurses

Both ER nurses and ICU nurses have the same responsibility to take care of critically ill patients. Let us dive into the difference between ICU vs ER nurses, their educational requirements, roles and responsibilities and the types of patients they deal with.

Educational requirements

Both ICU nurses and ER nurses need to get a nursing degree such as BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) or ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) degree. After getting their degree they need to pass the NCLEX-RN exam to become licensed Registered nurses.

ICU nurses:

Certifications that are often required for ICU nurses are CCRN (Critical Care Nursing) or Progressive care nursing. They also need to have education and knowledge about critical care technologies like how to operate ventilators and more.

ER Nurses or Emergency Room Nurses:

Certifications that er nurses may require are BLS (Basic Life Support), ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support), TNCC (Trauma Nursing Core Course).

 

Key differences ER Nurses vs ICU Nurses shown in an image

 

Work Environment

ICU nurses:

ICU nurses work in a controlled but intense environment where they take care of critically ill patients that are more stable than ER patients. They are constantly monitoring the patients and work with the ICU equipment’s such as ventilators dialysis or more.

ER nurses:

ER nurses work in a high-paced environment where they must quickly assess the patient and provide care accordingly. They make sure which patients need urgent care whereas those who are not critical.

Patients type they deal with

ICU nurses:

ICU nurses provide continuous care to patients with long term complex conditions or life-threatening conditions. They are also involved in end-of-life care. The patients are less critical than ER patients, but their health might get worse during monitoring.

ER nurses:

ER nurses provide care for patients who are in critical condition, like heart attacks, accidents, trauma and more. These patients need to be stabilized as it is life and death situation. ER nurses focus on triage and immediate treatment of the patients.

Skills and Responsibilities

ICU Nurses:

  • They have knowledge of using advanced monitoring equipment is such as ventilators.
  • Administer medication, focus on comprehensive care plans, give IVs, and document patient progress who are in ICU.
  • They have effective communication skills and able to communicate with other health care workers and the patient’s family.
  • They provide emotional support to the patient and their family members and educate them about the treatments.
  • ICU nurses have strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills during stressful situations.

ER Nurses:

  • Mastery in triage protocols that is to provide immediate care to the patients who are in serious condition and require urgent care.
  • They have skill in performing lifesaving procedures such as defibrillations, trauma stabilization and intubations.
  • They have effective communication skills and collaborate with teamwork to stabilize the patient.

Salary of ICU nurse’s vs ER nurses

The salaries of ICU nurses and ER nurses varied from state to state, location of facility, experience and more. But to get detailed salary information, read our blog Healthcare Payment Trend series and stay UpToDate about money information for different healthcare nurses.

Conclusion

Both ICU nurses and ER nurses are important part of the healthcare system and are specialized in working in a high stressed, critical environment. In this blog we have discussed the difference between both ICU nurse’s vs ER nurses, their educational requirements, skills, and responsibilities. ICU nurses take care of patients who are in continuous care and need constant monitoring whereas the ER nurses take care of the patients that need urgent medical care. The patients who are facing life threatening situation and each minute counts.

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