ER Nurse vs ICU nurse

An ER nurse is a nursing professional who attends to patients in an emergency room, while an ICU nurse attends to patients in the intensive care unit of a hospital. An ER nurse treats patients that have been admitted into the emergency room for a variety of illnesses and injuries. They have to act quickly because many times they are dealing with patients that have medical emergencies. These situations may include car accidents, strokes, and heart attacks. ER nurses also take care of people that are not in a life threatening scenario.

What is an emergency room nurse and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.,

Kim Raines

An emergency room nurse works in the emergency department of a hospital, providing care to patients in need of immediate medical attention. They assess patients, administer medication, monitor vital signs, and collaborate with healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care. Emergency room nurses think quickly and make decisions under pressure, as they often deal with life-threatening situations. They must also have excellent communication skills to effectively handle patients and families experiencing stress and uncertainty.

What general advice would you give to an emergency room nurse?

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.

Associate Dean of the School of Nursing Professor of Nursing, Quinnipiac University

One of the suggestions for new graduates is the importance of self-care. We have long known of the demanding nature of the nursing practice. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the nursing role's critical importance and the unique contributions made by nursing professionals. As the healthcare environment is extremely complex and challenging, nurses must remember to advocate for themselves and prioritize self-care.

ScoreEmergency Room NurseUS Average

Salary

6.2

Avg. Salary $79,886

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 8.92%

Black or African American 11.60%

Hispanic or Latino 8.98%

Unknown 4.26%

White 65.79%

Gender

female 80.21%

male 19.79%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an emergency room nurse?

Pros

High demand for emergency room nurses, leading to job security
Opportunities for career advancement and specialization
Competitive salary and benefits packages
Exposure to advanced medical technology
Possibility of working flexible schedules

Cons

Physically and emotionally demanding work
Long and irregular hours, including overnight shifts and weekends
Potential for workplace violence from patients or their families
Risk of making mistakes that could have serious consequences for patients
Limited control over patient outcomes and treatment decisions

Key steps to become an emergency room nurse

Explore emergency room nurse education requirements

Most common emergency room nurse degrees

Bachelor's

43.2 %

Associate

41.6 %

Master's

7.8 %

Start to develop specific emergency room nurse skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	21.93%
BLS	14.29%
Acls	10.29%
Triage	6.34%
Acute Care	6.31%

Complete relevant emergency room nurse training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New emergency room nurses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an emergency room nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real emergency room nurse resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed emergency room nurse usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed emergency room nurse in most of states. 43 states require emergency room nurses to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse

Gain additional emergency room nurse certifications

Emergency room nurse certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific emergency room nurse certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for emergency room nurses include Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) and Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS).

More About Certifications

Research emergency room nurse duties and responsibilities

Manage Gyn complaints, in- cluding colposcopy, infertility and minor surgical procedures.
Manage assessments, nursing diagnosis, precept newly employees, rotation from ICU to ER.
Assess patients in active withdrawal and provide interventions to manage physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms.
Care for GYN patients immediately after surgery and until discharge.

Prepare your emergency room nurse resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your emergency room nurse resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an emergency room nurse resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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