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Emergency Nurse

Emergency Care Nurses provide urgent treatment in ERs and ICUs, managing critical cases and responding swiftly to patient needs.

How do I become a emergency nurse

Get qualified to work as a emergency nurse with a course recognised across Australia. Speak to a training provider to learn more.

Common questions

The average salary for registered Emergency Care Nurses is $1,700 per week ($88,400 per annum). Increase your earning capacity by undertaking post-graduate qualifications and joining a professional association like the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia (CENA).

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There are 19,100 Emergency Care Nurses currently working in Australia. They work in the emergency departments and intensive care units (ICUs) of hospitals and medical centres. There are also opportunities for Emergency Care Nurses to work for the Australian Defence Forces (ADF).

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To become an Emergency Care Nurse you must complete a Bachelor of Nursing, then apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Once you are a qualified Registered Nurse (RN) you can complete an accredited short course such as Principles of Emergency Care or a university qualification. The Graduate Certificate in Nursing (Emergency Nursing), Graduate Certificate of Critical Care Nursing, or Graduate Diploma of Emergency Nursing, or Master of Emergency Nursing are all excellent choices.

Source: Australian Government Labour Market Insights 2023

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Further reading

What can you do with a Diploma of Nursing?

2nd February 2021

Why is Nursing a Good Career Choice in Australia?

25th November 2022

Career Pathways for Graduates After Studying a Diploma of Nursing and a Bachelor of Nursing

4th October 2024

Emergency Nurse careers

Emergency Care Nurses are specialist nurses who provide first-response and emergency treatment to patients in the emergency room and intensive care wards. They are qualified Registered Nurses (RNs) who have undertaken post-graduate training in emergency nursing, acute care, and critical care nursing.

As an Emergency Care Nurse you could be admitting a patient to the ER with a compound fracture, asking relatives about an unconscious patient’s medical background and history of allergies, providing initial treatment to a burns victim, taking an ECG of a patient who has presented with chest pain, monitoring the vital signs of a patient who has overdosed, moving a patient from the ER to intensive care, or updating a patient’s records and associated documentation.

Emergency Nursing is a fast-paced and demanding occupation, so to succeed you’ll need to be physically fit and able to make critical decisions in a highly stressful environment.