A&E Nurse Jobs

A&E Nurse jobs: frequently asked questions

(Updated Dec 2024)

Welcome to our A&E Nurse jobs page, featuring all the latest A&E nursing jobs throughout the UK, as well as frequently asked questions below.

What does an A&E Nurse do?

A&E Nurses work in the emergency department of hospitals and are typically the first point of contact when a patient enters.

An A&E nurse therefore deals with a huge variety of patients in very different states of physical and mental health.

Broadly, it’s an A&E Nurse’s job to make an initial assessment of a patient and to take vital signs like blood pressure and temperature.

They then ensure the patient is directed towards the right department.

It’s ultimately an A&E Nurse’s duty to make sure patients feel calm and comfortable while they wait to be sent to another ward, or discharged.

What are the daily duties of an A&E Nurse?

As anyone who’s visited one will know, emergency wards are innately unpredictable.

Every kind of person with every kind of ailment can arrive, and the seriousness of their condition can differ wildly.

A&E Nurses are at the centre of this, skilfully balancing it all.

Typically, their daily duties include:

• Taking patients’ vital signs

• Observing and recording the condition of patients

• Monitoring and administering medication and injections

• Making assessments and planning transfers

• Working with and supporting patients’ families and friends

• Mentoring students and junior nurses

You will work in a shift pattern, which could involve night shifts and unsociable hours.

What qualifications do you need to become an A&E Nurse?

To become an A&E Nurse you need to be registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).

And to be eligible to register you need to complete a nursing degree.

You can complete a degree in any of these four core areas: adult, child, mental health and learning disabilities.

Courses typically last three years and are available at universities and institutions throughout the country.

Half of your course will involve clinical practice, where you will gain a good understanding of what being a Nurse is really like.

In terms of experience, your degree should set a foundation that helps you to land your first role.

A nursing degree will allow you to become a Nurse within a variety of settings, not just A&E departments. It will also allow you to work in the private sector.

How much do A&E Nurses get paid?

A&E Nurses earn a Band 5 salary on the official NHS pay-scale.

From there, more experience and qualifications can help you to work your way up into higher bandings – and higher salaries.

You could end up becoming a ward matron, a consultant, or even a researcher or lecturer depending on the extra curricular studying you commit to.

Any of these careers could see you earn as much as £70,000 a year or more.

Find out exactly what you’ll earn with our NHS pay calculator.

The NHS is the major employer of A&E Nurses but your skills will be welcome in the private sector too. In the private sector pay is unregulated so it’s difficult to say whether your pay will be better or not.

It’s also important to note that the private sector doesn’t normally offer a benefits package that rivals that of the NHS.

Your other option will be bank or agency work, which, with enough experience, can become very lucrative.

As you’ll be well aware, A&E departments are getting busier every year, with more patients and longer waiting times.

That means qualified Nurses are in high demand.

Find your next A&E Nurse job today

View our latest roles above, or if you can’t find what you’re looking for, create an account and register your CV here and we’ll send you the latest roles as soon as they arise.