This commentary considers the potential for the use of information technology (IT) in its differing forms within the Accident and Emergency(A&E) Department. Its primary aim is to encourage nurses to recognise the potential of IT, its potential uses and to discuss how this use may benefit the emergency care of patients. I would encourage those ‘surfers’ who are reading this to take the time to encourage others to become familiar with this technique of accessing a potential gold-mine of information.

However I would also like to add a cautionary note, in that as with all sources of information, there are some excellent ‘sites’ on the internet and there are those of a more dubious quality whose information should be used more cautiously.