For many patients, A&E is the point at which they first enter a hospital, and thus A&E nurses tend to be the first staff they come into contact with. This makes A&E nurses an essential part of the medical care team, as they can set the tone for the entire experience that a patient has whilst they are under care. Moreover, A&E nurses also provide essential support across the A&E department and can be called upon to deal with a range of actions. With this comes a great degree of pressure and responsibility, as many of the patients they will deal with are in a critical state, meaning that they need the most professional and attentive care possible. As such, the role of an A&E nurse is one of great importance when it comes to setting the bar in regard to standards within medical care.
 
What does an A&E nurse actually do?
 
A&E nurses are the first to hear why a patient has been brought into the emergency department. They will take vital signs and ask for information to help establish what has happened and what the next steps will need to be. A skilled A&E nurse will be able to make well informed, logical decisions quickly and this can have a huge impact on the way that the A&E department runs overall. A&E tends to receive a high number of patients, and so having nursing staff who can deal with this pressure effectively is essential for the patient’s recovery.
 
Why are A&E nurses so important?

 
Life changing decisions- When patients arrive in A&E, nurses must make quick decisions about what actions to make next, which can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. Therefore, having skilled and experienced staff in these roles with an extensive knowledge of the field is imperative for the department’s success in effectively treating the most high risk patients.
 
Dealing with tension and difficult patients- Although every department in the hospital can experience problematic patients, the A&E department tends to have more than Its fair share of problem cases. For example, this can include drunk or irrational patients, as well as those who are getting impatient over waiting times. A good A&E nurse can not only ensure that people are being processed as fast as possible, but also work in a way to diffuse tension when it inevitably arises.
 
Skills and experience- Working in A&E as a nurse means gaining experience alongside a range of different medical professionals. An A&E nurse will have the skills and experience to interact with all medical staff to ensure that they have the information that they need to make critical decisions.  
 
The communication factor- A&E nurses have exceptionally clear communication skills. Not only do they need to be able to relay complex medical information to patients in a way that is understandable, but to communicate with medical professionals of all levels too. This could mean dealing with someone who has no medical knowledge one minute to a trauma surgeon, psychiatrist or paramedic the next.
 
A&E nurses have an essential role to play in the smooth running of any emergency department. They are not only key patient-facing staff, but also keep the channels of communication open between medical professionals all over the hospital to ensure the correct steps are taken towards effectively looking after their patients.