A hospital’s emergency room can be a chaotic place, with every day bringing new people suffering from unique injuries and illnesses through the door. In the emergency room, registered nurses (RNs) play a critical role in maintaining an efficient system for providing quality care—triaging patients and otherwise assisting the physicians and other clinicians they work alongside. As a travel emergency room nurse, you move across the country on temporary assignments to help out hospitals that are short-staffed, but did you know you can open up even more job opportunities and potentially earn a greater salary by becoming certified? Here are six certifications you can take advantage of to further your career and maximize your travel emergency room nurse job salary.
What are the benefits of emergency nursing certifications?
Emergency nursing certifications aren’t required for an RN to work in an emergency room, but emergency nurses who have them often enjoy better job opportunities and higher pay. This is because these certifications demonstrate that the nurse has specialized training in a specific area of emergency healthcare, which some healthcare facilities are willing to pay a premium for.
The benefits of having an emergency nursing certification compounds for travel RNs, as those clinicians already make more money and enjoy more flexible work opportunities than their permanent counterparts.
What certifications are available for emergency room nurses?
The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) provides avenues for RNs to become a: Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN), Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN), Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN), Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN), or Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN).
The CEN, CPEN, TCRN and CBRN are the most applicable certifications for RNs working in a hospital emergency room setting.
What is a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)?
Nurses who become a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) through the BCEN have demonstrated that they have the medical knowledge and clinical expertise required to be successful in emergency healthcare settings. According to the BCEN, this certification is known across the country to be the “foundational nursing specialty certification for RNs working in the emergency department and across the emergency spectrum.”
What is a Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN)?
Nurses who become a Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) through the BCEN have demonstrated that they are skilled at providing healthcare to patients while airborne as they’re transported via plane or helicopter.
What is a Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN)?
Nurses who become a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) through the BCEN have demonstrated that they have the knowledge and skill to provide quality emergency healthcare to children of all ages.
What is a Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN)?
Nurses who become a Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN) through the BCEN have demonstrated that they are adequately trained to treat critically ill and injured people in ambulances and other vehicles commonly used to transport patients to the ER or ICU.
What is a Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN)?
Nurses who become a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) through the BCEN have demonstrated their skills and expertise in caring for trauma patients and educating them and their families.
What is a Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN)?
Nurses who become a Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN) through the BCEN have demonstrated their knowledge and expertise in caring for burn victims, both in the hospital and during rehabilitation.
How do you obtain an emergency nursing certification?
Obtaining an emergency nursing certification from the BCEN is a relatively straightforward process: first, you must create an account on the BCEN website. Following that, you need to check your eligibility, and if you’re eligible, send in an application and pay for the certification exam.
Once your application is approved, you can then schedule your exam, which can be taken online or in-person. After you’ve studied for and passed the exam, all you need to do then is wait for your results.
How much do emergency nursing certifications cost?
The baseline price for each of the emergency nursing certifications BCEN offers is $380.
What’s the outlook for emergency room nursing jobs in 2024?
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for registered nurses in general is looking very promising—in fact, employment of these critical providers is projected to grow six percent from 2022 to 2032.
Many of these positions are bound to be in hospitals, meaning emergency room nurses will likely continue to be in demand going forward.
What states are hiring travel nurses for emergency room positions?
So far in 2024, we’ve seen a lot of travel emergency room nurse opportunities open up in the following states:
- California
- Montana
- New Mexico
Partner with BHS to Find Your Next Travel Emergency Room Nurse Job
As mentioned previously, travel emergency room nurses often make more than their permanent counterparts, and enjoy more flexibility in scheduling due to the temporary nature of the assignments they take. At Barton Healthcare Staffing, we connect with clinicians like you with short-staffed healthcare facilities across the country to maintain continuity of care for patients. If you’re interested in taking on the travel nurse life, check out our open emergency room nurse positions, or reach out to a recruiter today.