Challenges of Working in the Emergency Department 

Emergency departments are one of the most high-pressure environments within any hospital, where the entire emergency team is faced with constant challenges. It takes a certain type of medical staff member to be confident and successful in an emergency department environment. With varying patients from ambulances patients, people coming in with all kinds of injuries and illnesses, and 24/7 working hours, it can be a place of busy and testing times. 

A vital role in the hospital system, the role of emergency staff is one that offers a lot of job satisfaction and learning experience. Doctors and nurses alike face particular challenges and responsibilities, which can often be more taxing than some other areas of the hospital. 

Making Life and Death Decisions
One of the hardest and more pressure invoking tasks of the emergency team is being responsible for making vital decisions, some that could be the difference between life and death. Often doctors will need to make quick decisions under high-pressure, with accuracy holding life-changing weight. Getting these decisions wrong could result in fatality or further consequences, which the team then needs to respond to and deal with. 

As a team in the emergency department, debriefs and reflection are important to process and handle these stressful situations, with team support and relationships being a key aspect of this department. The emergency department can be a very rewarding and intense area to work, with wins resulting in lives saved, of which the emergency department is most renowned and praised for. 

Stress in High-Pressure Environments

Emergency is naturally a high pressure, busy and constantly changing setting to work in, which for most people can be quite stressful. With an often large number of people waiting to be seen, roles of various staff members, ambulance members and doctors, it can be an overwhelming amount of people to coordinate in one area. During times following a major accident or incident, on weekends or at busy periods of the year, the emergency department can become somewhat chaotic, crowded and this can create a difficult workplace for some staff. 

While this may seem daunting, being a part of an emergency team means you will have colleagues around you for support while you learn the fast-paced ropes. This buzzing environment can often feed some workers’ drive to succeed under pressure. 

24/7 Working Environment

As the emergency department never closes, the working shifts can be long, stressful and taxing on both the body and mind. These long hours can be spread out across early shifts, late shifts or night shifts, with sometimes jumbled roster and little room for consistency. Despite the long hours, it does allow for flexibility in working hours and generally days of your choice, with opportunity for overtime.

Busy Weekends

Weekends in the emergency department are easily the busiest time of the week. Often these are the days and nights people are most likely to be out doing things that they wouldn’t do as much during the weekdays, such as drinking, partying, playing sports and enjoying hobbies. These types of activities can lead to accidents, injuries, fights and other incidents that require emergency medical attention. 

Weekends can be expected to be  more hectic in the emergency department, with workers experiencing extended hours and constantly dealing with high-pressure, stressful situations, and more people, including those who are intoxicated.

No Private Practice Opportunities

Specialists outside of the emergency department such as surgeons, anaesthetists and more are able to earn far higher incomes when working in private practices when compared to that of a public hospital system. Although there are some private hospitals that run emergency departments, the salaries for these staff are often similar to those in a public hospital, creating no opportunities for Emergency medical specialists to earn a higher income for private practice. 

Despite these challenges, working in the emergency department of any hospital is an eye opening, vibrant and busy learning environment. Although some periods can be stressful, it is a rewarding role within the hospital system, where staff have the opportunities to put their medical skills to the test, make life-changing decisions and treat patients with a range of medical conditions and injuries. 

If you’re currently searching for an emergency medicine job, seek professional assistance from Jon & Jon Medical.