Choosing the best emergency nursing courses depends, in part, on the type of nursing that you're doing; a number of different nursing professionals act as emergency nurses, including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, trauma nurses, and nurse education professionals. General orientation courses are often a good starting point, with more specifics chosen based on your particular focus. You may also want to choose courses at a health or medical institution, such as a hospital, that offers a perceptor program. This is specialized, hands-on training provided by expert. It's important to always make sure that any course you choose is provided by an accredited institution with a good record.
Emergency nursing is a broad topic and is taught in fields as diverse as pediatrics, injury prevention, and trauma. Some processes covered in most emergency nursing courses are cardiopulmonary resuscitation, life support, and hemorrhage control. Courses tend to be offered by nursing programs, medical programs, and professionally recognized associations, such as the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA™) in the United States.
In most cases, a number of emergency nursing courses will be available to any nursing student. Introductory courses are common, and more advanced seminars are usually available, such as those that focus on emergency management and planning. Continuing education courses are also available for practicing nurses. Experts often recommend perceptor programs, which give nurses practical experience in a one-on-one environment; these programs are common for newly graduated nurses as they begin new jobs.
Different hospitals have different requirements when it comes to emergency nursing courses. For example, some institutions only require that nurses have a license and several years of training under a preceptor. Other institutions require nurses to have more specialized training. If this is the case, you should find training opportunities in a trauma ward or in a general hospital to complete your emergency nursing requirements.
If you are interested in earning a master's degree or doctorate degree in nursing, you should take emergency nursing courses that apply specifically to your field of interest. For example, a person who wants to learn about preceptor teaching methods and how they affect emergency nursing practices might enroll in a Doctor of Nursing Practitioner Programer (DNP). At this level, a nursing students learns about specific policies, health issues, or populations.
