Nurses in the emergency department and acute care
Who they are, what they do and which devices they use: a research-based profile for recruiting this target group for MedTech and pharma projects.
Overview
Nurses in clinical acute and emergency medicine assess arriving patients and continuously reassess their condition. They monitor breathing, circulation and neurological status, place peripheral venous lines, perform blood gas analyses and contribute to oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation and airway management. During resuscitation they perform basic life support and, together with physicians, advanced measures including defibrillation. They document on paper and in the hospital information system and accompany critically ill patients during transport. They accompany patients from initial assessment to transfer or discharge and involve relatives. Many hold a two-year specialist qualification in emergency nursing, which broadens the range of measures they carry out independently.
Profession by country
Fields of use and typical tasks
Notfallmedizin
Evidence from: DE, AT, CH
- Admission and emergency care of patients with acutely life-threatening illness in the resuscitation room
- Assisting with invasive procedures
- Preparing transfer and accompanying emergency transports
- Initial diagnostic measures such as blood sampling and ECG after triage
- Triage of ambulance patients and steering of patient flow by the coordinating nurse
- Early detection of critical changes, initiating nursing interventions and coordinating interprofessional workflows in the resuscitation room
Specializations
Devices and systems they use
Who they work with
- Physicians in clinical acute and emergency medicine
- Nursing assistants
- Advanced practice nurses in emergency nursing
Frequently asked questions
Which measurements and devices do emergency nurses operate themselves?
They perform blood gas analyses, monitor circulation and heart rhythm, place peripheral venous lines and carry out basic and advanced resuscitation measures including defibrillation. With the specialist qualification they also perform and adjust non-invasive ventilation and catecholamine therapy.
Where do emergency nurses document their work?
According to the recommendation, on paper and digitally in the hospital information system.
Do the competences differ with and without the specialist qualification?
Yes. Without the specialist qualification nurses carry out many measures under professional supervision; with it they set the indication for some measures themselves and adjust therapy.
How long do they care for a patient?
From the initial assessment on arrival until transfer to a follow-up ward or discharge.
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Related target groups
Same work area
Same specialty
Sources
- Interprofessionelle Handlungsfelder der Pflegefachpersonen in der Klinischen Akut- und Notfallmedizin: Empfehlungen der DIVI und der DGF, Deutsche Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI) und Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fachkrankenpflege und Funktionsdienste (DGF) (DE)
- Dipl. Expertin/Experte Notfallpflege NDS HF, Zuger Kantonsspital (CH)
- Für Pflegefachkräfte: Zentrum für klinische Akut- und Notfallmedizin, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen (DE)
- Zusammensetzung von Schockraumteams: Gelebte Realität in 12 überregionalen Traumazentren, Unfallchirurgie (Springer Medizin), NIS-TAcTIC-Studiengruppe (DE)
- Die Rolle der Notfallpflege im nicht-traumatologischen Schockraummanagement: Zwischen Stabilisierung, Koordination und Verantwortung, Deutscher Pflegerat (Download), Autor aus dem Integrierten Notfallzentrum eines städtischen Klinikums (DE)
- Traumatologischer Schockraum, Universitätsklinik für Anästhesie und Intensivmedizin, Tirol Kliniken (AT)
- Anästhesiepflege, Kepler Universitätsklinikum (AT)
- Neuer Schockraum für notfallmedizinische Erstbehandlung, Wiener Gesundheitsverbund, Klinik Ottakring (AT)
- Wenn jede Entscheidung zählt, Insel Gruppe AG (Mitarbeitendenzeitschrift) (CH)
- Über die Klinik: Universitätsklinik für Notfallmedizin, Insel Gruppe AG (CH)
- Triage Qualifications and Competency (Position Statement), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) (US)
- Workplace Violence and Its Impact on the Emergency Nurse (Position Statement), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) (US)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (US)
- The Emergency Nurse's Role in Supporting Pediatric Readiness in the Emergency Department (Position Statement), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) (US)
- Transfer of Patient Care Between EMS Providers and Receiving Facilities (Joint Statement ACEP, ENA, NAEMSP, NAEMT, NASEMSO), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) with ACEP, NAEMSP, NAEMT, NASEMSO (US)