What Does It Take To Be An A&E Nurse?

Most individuals would have received nursing at some point in their lives – be it for vaccination or advanced treatment. Like surgeons and doctors, nurses are integral to a capable clinical infrastructure. A&E nurses, in particular, deal with a multitude of patients requiring emergency care. 

Personality Traits of an A&E Nurse

A&E nurses work in the emergency department and treat those who are in trauma or life-threatening situations. It involves caring for patients of all ages in a stressful situation. All of these factors demand certain personality traits from A&E nurses.

Can Accelerate Pace As Needed

Not all the situations in an emergency room are hectic. But A&E agency nurse jobs need you to pick up the pace when the situation demands. This not only means moving quickly. You must be able to make logical decisions instantly since every second is precious in a life-or-death condition. You need to assess the present situation of the patient and determine the next course of action. A treatment plan must come naturally since there is no time to ponder on what needs to be done. 

Remain Calm Amidst Chaos

An emergency room can be hit with chaos at any point in time. From multi-vehicle collision to construction-related accident, several possibilities cause confusion and demand immediate attention.  You must be able to maintain a calm demeanour throughout the situation since the patient may be in a severe condition. Few patients may even be in a state of panic. As an A&E nurse, you are required to remain calm and advise them accordingly. This will help the patient to maintain a calm nature and increase nursing efficiency.

Extroverted, Agreeable, and Open

Extroversion, agreeableness, and openness are the key characteristics that distinguish A&E nurses from the general public. You must make honest communication with patients in a direct manner and remain sociable and friendly. You must also stay unbiased and consider each patient’s condition objectively. Having some social confidence will help you to adapt to a situation very quickly and easily. 

Ability to Multitask

A&E agency nurse jobs require excellent organisational skills. You must be able to handle multiple patients at a time. In some extreme cases, A&E nurses may even treat 10 to 20 patients simultaneously. With such sheer volume, you cannot make the mistake of mixing up treatment plans or medication administration. As such, organisational skills, along with multitasking, becomes crucial.  Time management skills are also needed since you cannot leave the patients to feel neglected. Additionally, few patients may need higher priority even though they enter the emergency room later. You need to prioritise such patients and determine the level of nursing required. 

Good Coping Skills

Traumatic cases are persistent in the A&E department. Hence, A&E nurses must display emotional stability and not linger over patient deaths. If there is a patient death due to severe injuries or being critically ill, A&E nurse must not allow the end to have an impact on other patients as well. It is important to stay clear-headed and cope with the stressful conditions in the A&E department. This may also involve dealing with difficult patients. You must not take their behaviour personally and allow it to bias your treatment methods. 

Key Responsibilities of an A&E Nurse

Taking the Vital Signs

Logging the vital statistics is one of the staple responsibilities of an A&E nurse. It may include recording the blood pressure readings using a blood pressure pump, measuring pulse rate, temperature, and respiration throughout the patient’s stay. Noting down the vital signs will give you a birds-eye view of the patient’s condition. Any changes in these signs may alert a change in health and require immediate attention. 

Administering Medicine

Once the doctor prescribes the medicines, A&E nurse is the only one who is legally eligible to administer them to the patients. As such, you may be setting up and priming intravenous infusion (IV) or handing over the pills to the patient.  Sometimes, the patient may already be on an existing medication that must be administered during the stay. You must confirm the current list of medicines with the patient’s family and acquire additional in-hospital prescriptions. 

Providing Treatments

Apart from the meds, A&E nurses provide treatment for a wide range of possibilities. You may even need to assist with minor medical procedures as a part of the treatment plan. You will be helping other medical professionals on incidents like suturing wounds or intubating critical patients. These practices help to stabilise the patient’s condition and quicken their recovery.

Monitoring

From administering medicines to checking on the results of diagnostic tests, A&E nurses are responsible for monitoring the treatment plan of patients. You have to notify the doctor if a patient’s condition starts to deteriorate under your watch. Other duties like supplying snack or blankets must also be done. 

A&E nurses care for patients suffering from different traumatic conditions. Their work environment is highly strenuous and fast-paced. Hence it is necessary to possess certain essential qualities that help to carry out your duty in an efficient manner.