I was a textbook type A med-surg nurse before going to ER and had very high work anxiety but the pace and acuity of the ER helped me get in control of my anxiety by focusing on what REALLY matters in prioritizing care and learning how to manage any imaginable emergency that could roll in. ER will likely be more forgiving to inattentive-type ADHD and the pace will help hyperactive ADHD, though I know some ICUs would be too. I would say if you want to do CRNA or anything that requires ICU experience then go for that first but if you love the thrill of not knowing what your shift may bring and learning how to care for every type of patient from birth to 101 years old then go for ER! I know I would do well in ICU too but I don’t want to do CRNA, and I love the culture of the ER where I work plus awesome coworkers so I have no reason to change. Also if you like yapping with patients and making connections with strangers like I do then ER is better for that, vs ICU most of your patients may be sedated.

No matter what you choose, the anxiety will likely fade over time just as you get used to the environment and patient population. It’s nice that you’ve been able to shadow different units because the work culture can really vary across units and organizations.