An extraordinary nursing team
Nurses are commonly the first faces that patients see when arriving in an emergency department. They are also among those who leave the most lasting impression.
Critical Care Registered Nurse Helen Gubbels said this may be because emergency nurses provide care when patients are commonly at their most vulnerable.
“Patients often have no family members present when they first come in,” Helen said. “They may or may not be able to speak, depending on what’s wrong with them, and we are their advocate.”
Clinical Nurse Educator Marc Marquez agrees, and said his colleagues spend a lot of time by the bedside.
“We follow through a patient’s care from the moment they present to the streaming window to the time that they’re discharged from the emergency department,” Marc said.
Ultimately, said Associate Nurse Manager Ciara Nother, a large part of what makes emergency nurses so special is the compassion at the heart of the care they provide.
“For most people, coming into an emergency department isn’t part of their planned day,” Ciara said. “It’s not where they thought they’d be.
“So, most people are frightened and they’re distressed about themselves or their family members, and it’s important to be able to have compassion about that.”
Watch the video below to learn even more about Alfred Health’s emergency nurses – part of the extraordinary nursing team caring for patients right across the health service.
