what is an emergency department nurse?
As an emergency department nurse, you help patients who require immediate medical attention. You usually handle patients with trauma, severe injuries or acute-onset symptoms and provide immediate medical attention. Most patients in an emergency room have life-threatening conditions, so it's important to think critically and methodically to identify patients' problems and stabilise them quickly. You are exposed to patients with critical conditions, such as victims of car accidents and heart attack patients.
Aside from stabilising patients, you also document their medical histories, allergies, and medications provided during treatment. You speak to families about patients’ conditions and treatment plans and provide support during end-of-life. When patients don’t need to be admitted to the hospital, you handle the discharge paperwork and provide follow-up recommendations for continued care.
Most emergency department nurses work in hospitals or healthcare clinics. However, you will also find emergency nurses in schools, cruise ships or mining communities that provide essential care in emergencies. As an emergency department nurse, you should be empathetic and compassionate. Emergency rooms are busy and involve high-stress situations, and the ability to remain calm under pressure is crucial.
view rolesaverage emergency department nurse salary
The typical remuneration package of an emergency department nurse is $97,500 per year. At the beginning of your career, you have minimal experience, which lowers your salary expectations. At an entry-level position, you earn a salary of $80,500 per year. Your earnings increase gradually with experience and expertise, and you can earn over $135,000 annually.
what factors affect your salary as an emergency department nurse?
Your remuneration package as an emergency nurse mainly depends on your experience and competencies. As an emergency department nurse, you handle all types of medical emergencies, and the more experience you have, the better your remuneration. Having additional qualifications or specialisations also boosts your earnings, thanks to the extensive knowledge you have in the field. The complexity of your duties and the size of the healthcare facility you work for also improve your remuneration prospects.
Your working location also significantly influences your remuneration package. Working in metro areas or large cities improves your earning prospects, resulting from the high demand for emergency nurses. Metro areas also experience numerous emergencies, which increases your working hours. Smaller towns or rural areas have a lower demand for emergency nurses, which reduces your earnings.
Want to know what you will earn as an emergency department nurse? Check out what you are worth with our salary checker.
types of emergency department nurses
Emergency departments have numerous sub-specialities that you can specialise in. For instance, as a trauma emergency nurse, you work in trauma centres and handle trauma patients brought in by ambulances. A triage emergency nurse sorts patients as they enter the emergency department. You group patients based on vital signs, complaints, and the resources available in the emergency room (ER). As a code nurse, you run the code room, where critical patients receive treatment. Your job involves handling patients with no pulse or who aren't breathing.
As a paediatric emergency nurse, you triage patients under 18 years old. You are likely to work in a paediatric hospital or a general hospital, handling trauma and emergency cases involving neonates or teens.
working as an emergency department nurse
If you are interested in working as an emergency department nurse, let’s explore the specific duties, responsibilities and work environments.
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emergency department nurse job description
Some of the duties and responsibilities of emergency department nurses include:
- handling triage: as an emergency department nurse, you assess patients’ symptoms as they come into the emergency room and use triage principles to prioritise care. When assessing critical patients, you rely on your medical knowledge and quick thinking to identify life-threatening issues. You obtain a patient's medical history and quickly examine their condition before recommending ways to stabilise it.
- taking vital signs: as an emergency department nurse, you are in charge of monitoring a patient’s vital signs and logging the statistics until they are stable. You take blood pressure readings, measure the pulse rate or respiration, and check the patient's temperature. Since you rely on vital signs to understand a patient’s state, you track them throughout their stay in the emergency room. You track any changes that require a doctor’s attention.
- administering medicine: as an emergency department nurse, you set up the intravenous (IV) infusion to administer medication or hand over pills to patients. If a patient is already on other medication, you ensure the pills are administered throughout their stay. You confirm medication lists for patients and ensure they don’t react to the current treatment plan.
- providing treatment: as an emergency nurse, you are trained in advanced medical care. That means you can provide medical treatment to patients, from issues with kidney infections to sore throats. Other duties include suturing wounds, intubating critical patients and helping doctors stabilise patients.
- supervising patients' treatment: as an emergency department nurse, you oversee patients' treatment to ensure follow-through on doctor's orders. You review the results of diagnostic tests ordered and report the results to the doctor.
- documenting medical histories: since the emergency room handles numerous patients, it is important to document the treatment plans. You chart the current condition of patients and their medical history and update the digital records.
- discharging patients: as an emergency department nurse, you handle the discharge paperwork for patients cleared by the doctor to leave the hospital. If a patient is going to an aged care home or rehabilitation centre, you confirm transportation.
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work environment
Emergency department nurses work in diverse settings, from hospitals and healthcare facilities to mining community health centres. If you are a trauma response nurse working with the police, you work from an ambulance and provide first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to injured patients on the road or in private residences. In hospital settings, you work in the ER, providing immediate care to critical patients. You are expected to wear protective equipment and your nursing uniform.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include doctors, general nurses and lab assistants. You might also be working in close proximity to pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, surgeons, radiographers and midwives.
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work schedule
As an emergency department nurse, you work the typical full-time hours of nurses, usually in shifts from 8 to 12 hours a day, including weekends and holidays. When the hospital is overwhelmed by emergencies, you can be called in to help out at any time of the day or night. Emergency department nurses also work part-time in some hospitals.
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job outlook
Emergency department nurses work in diverse work settings. When you work in the hospital, you can specialise in various types of emergency medicine, like stroke, trauma, disaster response, paediatrics or cardiac medicine. If you want to progress in your career, consider becoming a doctor, a surgeon or the head of the emergency room department.
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advantages of finding an emergency department nurse job through randstad
Finding your emergency department nurse job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a emergency department nurse is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract every year with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.
education and skills
To become an emergency department nurse in Australia, complete a bachelor’s degree and register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). Pursue a bachelor of nursing degree, which takes four years of coursework and includes clinical placement. Upon completion, register with the NMBA or Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and start gaining work experience as a registered nurse.
You require at least a year of experience working as a registered nurse and a Triage Certificate to become an emergency department nurse. Since your duties involve resuscitation, you require Advanced Life Support (ALS) certification. Having postgraduate certification in acute care nursing or a diploma in emergency nursing from a technical and further education (TAFE) centre demonstrates your skills and ability to work as an emergency nurse.
emergency department nurse skills and competencies
If you want to excel as an emergency department nurse, you should hone the following essential skills:
- critical thinking skills: as an emergency department nurse, you deal with tough medical emergencies that require quick thinking. Your critical thinking ability helps you analyse patients’ situations accurately and make the best decision during triage.
- empathy: as an emergency department nurse, your ability to view situations from another person’s point of view is invaluable. Your empathetic approach to patients struggling with various illnesses helps you provide high-quality care.
- computer skills: as an emergency department nurse, you rely on medical technology to monitor vital signs, check patient records and access test results. You need computer skills to access patient information and operate medical equipment used in the emergency room. Being tech-savvy also helps you assist with telemedicine and guide other nurses on various procedures.
- attention to detail: as an emergency department nurse, you are tasked with a broad range of complex duties. Being detail-oriented ensures patients receive the right treatments and medications. Your attentiveness to details also helps you pay attention to the changing patients’ symptoms.
- teamwork skills: as an emergency nurse, you work as part of a larger medical team. Having good interpersonal and teamwork skills helps you interact with other healthcare staff in a friendly and productive manner. Teamwork skills also promote collaboration.
FAQs about working as an emergency department nurse
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of an emergency department nurse.
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what is the role of an emergency department nurse?
As an emergency nurse, you receive patients at the emergency department and provide immediate care. You prioritise patients’ care based on their health conditions and ensure they receive treatment.
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how much do emergency department nurses get paid in Australia?
Emergency department nurses in Australia earn an average salary of $97,500 per year. In entry-level positions, the earnings are slightly lower, at $80,500 annually. Experienced emergency department nurses, on the other hand, often take home over $135,000 per year.
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are ICU nurses and emergency department nurses the same?
As an emergency department nurse, you prioritise patients for treatment based on their symptoms and life-threatening conditions. An intensive care unit (ICU) nurse monitors a patient's condition closely and responds to any changes.
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how do I become an emergency department nurse?
To become an emergency department nurse in Australia, you should be a registered nurse and gain extra qualifications through certifications in triage and resuscitation techniques. Some employers also require postgraduate qualifications.
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is working as an emergency department nurse hard?
Working in the emergency department is challenging, especially since you handle complex emergency situations in order to save lives and provide quality care. However, with the right medical knowledge and critical thinking skills, you can excel in the role.
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how do I apply for an emergency department nurse vacancy?
Applying for an emergency department nurse job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.
