What it's really like being an Emergency Department nurse.

I’ve been the Nurse Manager at the Prince of Wales Hospital Emergency Department for five years.

When I joined the department 21 years ago, the ED was seeing around 28,000 presentations each year.

That figure has now increased to just over 59,000 presentations each year, and is growing.

Prince of Wales Hospital has one of only two public Spinal Units in the state, and has the state’s only public Hyperbaric Unit. We are also one of the few hospitals in the state that provide clot retrieval for patients with acute strokes. This treatment really is one where ‘moments matter’.

Our ED is a very busy place, especially over Christmas and New Year. During the festive season, more people are out celebrating and participating activities than might have been a good idea at the time.

Our staff are trained to deal with almost any scenario, and no one day is ever the same.

Listen: Mia, Holly, and Jessie discus mental health awareness. (Post continues after audio…)

I’ve seen it all, from a young man who sustained a spinal cord injury in a motorbike accident to a thrill-seeker who almost died in a sky-diving accident when her parachute failed.

Our ED currently has three resuscitation beds, 12 acute beds, 10 short stay beds, nine fast track chairs and nine treatment spaces in exam/consult rooms, but we’re expanding to help treat more patients.

We’re currently in the process of adding an additional eight beds to the ED, and hopefully by 2022 will have a new ED as part of the $720 million Randwick Hospitals Campus Redevelopment.

Hospitals aren’t just places where people come to be treated – many of our staff are also engaged in translational research that is leading to improved patient outcomes.

I’m proud to be a part of a dedicated team of staff who support their patients, and each other.

Every little bit of support helps, and that’s why the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation’s 'Every Moment Matters' fundraising campaign is so important.

Money raised through the campaign will help with the purchasing of life-saving equipment for the ED and increase our capacity care for patients.

We are committed to providing quality and safe healthcare for all, and we thank our patients and their families for all their support.

Elizabeth Ryan is the Nurse Manager for the Emergency Department at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney. To donate, visit the Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation.

Listen: The Mamamia Out Loud team discuss helpful things to do for people in hospital, how to avoid awkward Christmas conversations and the death of glitter...