What is an emergency department registered nurse and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.,

Kim Raines

An emergency department registered nurse works in the emergency department of a hospital. They are responsible for providing immediate medical attention to patients who arrive at the hospital with illnesses or injuries. The nurse is tasked with assessing the patient's condition, administering medications, and communicating with other healthcare members to ensure that the patient receives appropriate care. They may assist in stabilizing patients, and providing emotional support to patients and families during this stressful time.

What general advice would you give to an emergency department registered nurse?

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.

Associate Dean of the School of Nursing Professor of Nursing, Quinnipiac University

One of the suggestions for new graduates is the importance of self-care. We have long known of the demanding nature of the nursing practice. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the nursing role's critical importance and the unique contributions made by nursing professionals. As the healthcare environment is extremely complex and challenging, nurses must remember to advocate for themselves and prioritize self-care.

ScoreEmergency Department Registered NurseUS Average

Salary

6.3

Avg. Salary $81,260

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 8.89%

Black or African American 11.41%

Hispanic or Latino 9.47%

Unknown 4.30%

White 65.50%

Gender

female 80.94%

male 19.06%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an emergency department registered nurse?

Pros

Opportunity to make a significant impact on patientâ€™s lives
Ability to work with a diverse patient population
Opportunity to constantly learn and develop skills
High demand for emergency nurses, leading to job security
Competitive salary and benefits packages

Cons

Long and unpredictable shifts
Working weekends, holidays, and overnight shifts
Dealing with difficult or uncooperative patients and family members
Heavy workload and responsibility
Limited opportunities for downtime during busy shifts

Key steps to become an emergency department registered nurse

Explore emergency department registered nurse education requirements

Most common emergency department registered nurse degrees

Bachelor's

48.8 %

Associate

38.8 %

Master's

7.4 %

Start to develop specific emergency department registered nurse skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	26.77%
Acls	8.88%
Acute Care	5.66%
Life Support	4.40%
Patient Outcomes	3.52%

Complete relevant emergency department registered nurse training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New emergency department registered nurses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an emergency department registered nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real emergency department registered nurse resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed emergency department registered nurse usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed emergency department registered nurse in most of states. 43 states require emergency department registered nurses to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse

Gain additional emergency department registered nurse certifications

Emergency department registered nurse certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific emergency department registered nurse certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for emergency department registered nurses include Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) and Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS).

More About Certifications

Research emergency department registered nurse duties and responsibilities

Monitor and manage chest tubes and various drainage devices along with pacer wires, epidural lines, and PCA pumps.
Stabilize critical patients through the use of BLS and ACLS protocols.
Assess patients and prioritize care: stabilize multiple critical patients using ACLS and BLS protocols.
Provide direct patient care including triage evaluation and treatment of patients presenting for care for medical/trauma/psychiatric care.

Prepare your emergency department registered nurse resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your emergency department registered nurse resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an emergency department registered nurse resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable emergency department registered nurse resume templates

Build a professional emergency department registered nurse resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your emergency department registered nurse resume.

Apply for emergency department registered nurse jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an emergency department registered nurse job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average emergency department registered nurse salary

The average emergency department registered nurse salary in the United States is $81,260 per year or $39 per hour. Emergency department registered nurse salaries range between $48,000 and $135,000 per year.

Average emergency department registered nurse salary

$81,260 Yearly

$39.07 hourly

How do emergency department registered nurses rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Emergency department registered nurse reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022

Cons

What is there not to like? It's such a rewarding job!

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021

Pros

Caring for patients

Cons

Staffing ratios, unfairness, constant expectations. Healthcare is a business but doesn’t treat nurses like business employees

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

helping people and saving lives

Cons

the pay is not good not enough for the lifestyle I would like to live

What is an emergency department registered nurse and how to become one

What general advice would you give to an emergency department registered nurse?

What are the pros and cons of being an emergency department registered nurse?

Emergency department registered nurse career paths

Key steps to become an emergency department registered nurse

Explore emergency department registered nurse education requirements

Most common emergency department registered nurse degrees

Start to develop specific emergency department registered nurse skills

Complete relevant emergency department registered nurse training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional emergency department registered nurse certifications

Research emergency department registered nurse duties and responsibilities

Prepare your emergency department registered nurse resume

Choose from 10+ customizable emergency department registered nurse resume templates

Apply for emergency department registered nurse jobs

How did you land your first emergency department registered nurse job

Average emergency department registered nurse salary

How do emergency department registered nurses rate their job?

Emergency department registered nurse reviews

Emergency department registered nurse jobs by state