Registered nurses working in emergency rooms provide assistance to doctors and surgeons in a variety of ways. As the first point of contact between a patient checked into an emergency room and hospital staff, nurses play a vital role in emergency room operations. Because of this, RNs and are generally paid more than nurses in general practitioners' offices or other hospital settings due to their experience and the critical, fast-paced demands of the job. Understanding the salary of an emergency room RN in light of the job duties and requirements can help you to decide whether this career path is right for you.
Salary and Benefits
Full-time registered nurses in emergency rooms earn between $50,000 and $80,000 per year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Emergency-room nurses are at the top of their profession, responsible for responding to a wide range of emergency situations on a day-to-day basis. Like doctors and surgeons, ER nurses can work long hours or on an on-call basis, creating opportunities for overtime pay and bonuses alongside base compensation.
Comprehensive benefits can be considered a form of compensation, just like salary, if they provide services that employees would have otherwise paid for themselves. As full-time hospital employees, most RNs are offered comprehensive benefits packages including medical, dental and vision insurance as well as a retirement savings plan such as a 401(k) to effectively increase employees' total compensation. However, this is not always the case in the medical field. Some of the most intrinsically rewarding jobs in this field might not provide any benefits at all. Working at a low-income hospital in rural Guatemala to help people in poverty-stricken areas, for example, may provide a deep sense of personal satisfaction while not providing any health insurance or retirement savings.
Emergency Room RN Job Requirements and Duties
Emergency-room nurses are often required to posses a Bachelor's degree, and must carry a current RN license. Emergency-room nurse positions are not entry-level jobs in the nursing industry; ER nurse applicants are required to have proven experience and high performance before being trusted with a hospital's most vulnerable and critical patients.
The first duty of an ER nurse is to greet patients and record their symptoms. Nurses make comprehensive notes on patients' injuries to allow doctors to quickly diagnose ailments and prescribe treatments. Emergency-room RNs are also responsible for administering a range of tests, including blood tests and x-rays, as well as administering intra-venous drips and other medications as prescribed by ER doctors. In emergency surgery situations, experienced ER nurses may be required to work alongside surgeons to ensure that they have all the tools, equipment and information they need to perform complex operations.
Advancement Opportunities for Registered Nurses
Registered nurses can gain a wide range of experience working in emergency rooms, making them strong candidates for higher-paying positions in hospital organizations. Nurses can work their way up to supervisory or management positions, overseeing groups of nurses in the ER or other parts of the hospital. An RN working for an employer offering tuition reimbursement can pursue a higher medical degree while gaining experience, opening up opportunities to work as an ER doctor, surgeon or other specialist after earning an advanced degree.
Dave Ingram - David Ingram has spent several years writing case studies on all aspects of international business, specializing in marketing and ...
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