Emergency Room Nurse duties and responsibilities
Emergency Room Nurses provide timely emergency care to their patients. While the specific tasks they need to complete may vary from one patient to the next, some of the most common responsibilities of an Emergency Room Nurse include:
- Administering medication prescribed by a Doctor
- Starting intravenous lines
- Stabilizing incoming patients
- Working with other emergency healthcare professionals to help patients
- Giving stitches and sutures to injured patients
- Maintaining up-to-date patient records
- Helping transfer stable patients to other hospital wings
- Triaging incoming patients based on their condition
Emergency Room Nurse skills and qualifications
An Emergency Room Nurse must have an excellent knowledge of emergency medical care procedures. They should also be able to work under pressure and multitask since they may assist multiple patients simultaneously. Other critical skills and qualifications you should look for when hiring an Emergency Room Nurse include:
- Ability to work as part of a healthcare team
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Advanced knowledge of emergency medicine
- Active Registered Nurse (RN) license
- Empathy, sensitivity, and interpersonal skills
- Desire to continue learning about new procedures and advancements in emergency care
- Organization and time-management skills
- Experience operating medical equipment
Emergency Room Nurse experience requirements
Many employers prefer to hire Emergency Room Nurses who have a minimum of three years of experience working as a Registered Nurse. Candidates should also have prior hands-on experience in emergency nursing, critical care, medical-surgical care, or intermediate care which they can gain on the job as a Registered Nurse. If you are hiring an Emergency Room Nurse to work in a large hospital or lead other staff members, consider applicants who have at least five years of experience as a Registered Nurse and a background in management.
Emergency Room Nurse education and training requirements
An Emergency Room Nurse must have an active RN license. To obtain this license, candidates need to complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing and pass the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination, which is administered nationally by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). There are also several voluntary certifications you can look for when reviewing candidates, such as the Emergency Nurse Certified Credential (ENC) offered by the CNA. If you are hiring an Emergency Room Nurse to fulfill a senior position or work in a large hospital, consider candidates with a master’s degree in emergency medicine or a related field.
Emergency Room Nurse salary expectations
The average annual salary for an Emergency Room Nurse in Canada is $59,256 per year. Pay can vary depending on a candidate’s level of experience, education, and geographical location.
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