Mental health and staff well-being in the emergency department

This collection of articles focuses on the mental health of emergency nurses. It includes peer-reviewed content, feature and opinion articles on how best to ensure the well-being of people working in the high-stress environment of the emergency department or at the scene of major incidents. The collection also covers mechanisms for coping as well as tips for building up psychological and professional resilience.  

Ilustration shows the silhouette of a person who is acting in an aggressive manner as they point a finger at a nurse, who is quietly and politely standing in front of the person

How can you tackle violent assault and aggressive behaviour in the ED?

Practical steps nurses can take to ensure everyone’s safety

Two weary emergency care nurses, both holding disposable paper cups, rest on a trolley in a hospital corridor

Too few toilets and cramped rest spaces: why emergency departments are unfit for purpose

Lack of facilities only increase the pressures on nurses, a study reveals

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A triage nurse speaks to a patient and her friend to assess their symptoms in the emergency department

Staff safety and well-being is vital in pressurised emergency departments

Overcrowding and other pressures can take their toil on ED nursing staff

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Older woman lies in bed in corridor of emergency department

So-called ‘corridor care’ is an uncomfortable reality in emergency departments

Overcrowding is forcing staff to look after patients in non-clinical areas

Nurses rushing along a hospital corridor push a wheeled stretcher on which a patient is lying

Burnout: how emergency nurses can guard against a mental health crisis

Working in an emergency department can take a toll but help is available

An emergency department nurse leads a team debrief following a significant event

What should an ED team debrief involve and how do I lead one?

Emergency departments are high-pressured and debriefings can help sustain a healthy workplace

Matthew Osborne

‘Emergency care is broken’: why I did the unthinkable and quit the job I love

Nurse who announced his resignation on Twitter describes the impact of moral injury

Illustration depicts a nurse carrying a huge ball of wire with dark clouds and thunder: nurses face daily pressures and challenges working in emergency departments

Notes from the front line: ‘Most shifts feel like working in a battlefield’

A candid discussion of the unprecedented pressures and challenges across the specialty

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Toxic behaviour

Toxic behaviour in the ED: why we must look after our workforce

If is vital to seek support if you witness bullying or are bullied yourself

De-escalation of acute behavioural disturbance

Acute behavioural disturbance: how to manage risk in the emergency department

Guidance on management covers de-escalation, restraint and tranquilisation

Corridor nursing: how can EDs maintain safety amid overcrowding?

Record overcrowding means patients arriving by ambulance are too often kept in corridors

(L-R) Royal Bolton Hospital ICU staff Jess Campbell-Tandey, Danielle Hollick and Becky Crompton with Mason

Colleague’s canine visitor boosts ICU staff morale

Companion dog-in-training Mason offers a welcome break from challenges of COVID-19, say staff

Letters from trust prompt patients to apologise for abusive behaviour

The patients had been warned they may be refused treatment after aggression towards staff
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Awareness of secondary traumatic stress in emergency nursing

How nurses can safeguard against secondary traumatic stress

Congress applauds fire chief over trauma support

RCN members applaud London’s fire chief for supporting staff affected by traumatic events

Emergency nurse’s trigger point underlines importance of our mental health

We must support each other in coping with the accumulation of stressful events

Reflections on personal psychological resilience after the Shoreham air crash in 2015

Reflections on a psychological journey with reference to the conservation of resources theory

We need to look after our workforce

Our Blue Light seeks to improve the well-being of emergency service professionals

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