Emergency / Trauma Nurse – Career and Education Profile

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Emergency nursing (also called trauma nursing) is a fast-paced field where you’ll work in an emergency room setting or in the field to save lives.

Job Responsibilities

As an emergency nurse, you’ll provide care in high-stress situations, many times when a patient is severely injured or ill and on the brink of death. Because this is such a high-pressure situation, emergency nurses typically do not work alone, but instead assist doctors or a team of doctors in providing care. You’ll follow directions carefully and quickly to save lives and may also be tasked with treating or talking to family members and friends who may be in shock after witnessing a loved one go through something so horrible. As an emergency nurse, you could work in a variety of settings, such as in ambulance, on medical helicopters, at sporting events, or in urgent call centers. To work as an emergency nurse, you have to be able to stay calm in stressful situations and work with a high level of efficiency.

Salary and Career Options

Emergency nurses make an average of $55,000, depending on educational level and location. In this field, LPNs are rarely hired, as you need at least an RN education to be prepared to work in such an unstable environment. You don’t have to stop at becoming an RN, though. If you love working in emergency nursing situations, you can also become an advanced practice nurse in the field.

Educational Requirements

To work as an RN in emergency nursing, you need at least an associate’s degree, though many employers prefer this type of nurse to have a bachelor’s degree or more. After working for at least two years in an emergency nursing setting, you can take the exam from the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing, which allows you to make more money in this field.

LPN to RN College Programs

While several schools have online nursing degrees available, few offer LPN to RN programs. What's the good news? We have listed some accredited schools below that do offer the program in addition to schools with other bridge programs available. Find out more information and contact each school by using any of the links below.

Indiana State University—Indiana State University offers a robust online program designed for LPNs wanting to become registered nurses and earn their BSN degree. Since ISU's credits transfer to over 80 campus majors, this is an ideal program for people wanting to open opportunities for their career down the road.

The College Network—The College Network is a partnership with several universities and organizations like the National League for Nursing that focuses on online education and programs, with several courses for nurses or those interested in a nursing career. Specifically, TCN helps students prepare for their PN and RN licensures and move on to earn graduate degrees.

Other Nursing Degrees

Walden University—Walden University is typically a graduate school with several masters and doctoral programs available, but they do have BSN and RN to MSN bridge programs available. Walden is based out of Minneapolis and offers several options in transferring your previously earned credits to and from (or even within) the school.

Kaplan University—Kaplan University is one of the nation's largest and leading online educators and offers several bridge programs for registered nurses to earn their BSN or MSN degree. If you have previously earned credits, Kaplan makes it easy for you to transfer to any one of their undergraduate or graduate programs.

Herzing University—While Herzing University does not offer an undergraduate nursing degree, it is a great choice for working nurses wanting to pursue leadership positions in Nurse Education or Management. With over 10 campuses and 45 online programs available, Herzing has a massive network that makes it easy to transfer to or from the school.

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