My A&E placement experience as an adult nursing student

When I found out I'd be doing my placement in A&E, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. I had heard everyone talk about how fast-paced and unpredictable it is, and I wondered if I could keep up. Looking back, my A&E placement was one of the most intense yet rewarding experiences I've had as a student nurse. It taught me so much about resilience, teamwork and thinking on my feet.
From day one, I realised there was no easing into it. A&E is full-on, and patients arrive with everything from minor injuries to life-threatening emergencies. One moment, I was helping with basic observations, the next, I was in a resuscitation room watching a team work together to save a life. One of the biggest things that I had to learn was prioritising. In a busy A&E, you can’t do everything at once, so knowing what’s urgent and what can wait is key.
I watched doctors & nurses make critical decisions in seconds, and with time, I started developing that instinct, too. Not every shift was easy. There were days when the workload felt extremely overwhelming, and I questioned if I was cut out for this. Seeing patients in distress, dealing with difficult situations and experiencing the emotional toll of the job was tough. But on the flip side, there was a sense of achievement when you help someone, even in a small way.
What I took away:
Teamwork is everything.
I saw firsthand how Doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare professionals work together under pressure, with good communication, saving lives.
Confidence comes with experience.
My placement pushed me out of my comfort zone and ended up being one of the most valuable placements I’ve had. By the end of my placement, I was confident with taking the initiative and trusting my judgement and knew I made the right decision to study nursing.
Self-care is important.
Placements can be exhausting, both physically and mentally. I learned that looking after myself by hydrating, taking breaks when possible, and reflecting on tough cases made a difference.
For those who have been on an A&E or any other placement, what was your experience like? And those about starting, what are you most looking forward to or nervous about?
Annabel (Kingston Rep)

Great post - thanks for sharing your experience.

Amazing post I have been feeling nervous and anxious about placements especially A&E but this information and how detailed and it’s real life has made me feel determined and confident to start thank you 🙏🏽😊

When I found out I'd be doing my placement in A&E, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. I had heard everyone talk about how fast-paced and unpredictable it is, and I wondered if I could keep up. Looking back, my A&E placement was one of the most intense yet rewarding experiences I've had as a student nurse. It taught me so much about resilience, teamwork and thinking on my feet.
From day one, I realised there was no easing into it. A&E is full-on, and patients arrive with everything from minor injuries to life-threatening emergencies. One moment, I was helping with basic observations, the next, I was in a resuscitation room watching a team work together to save a life. One of the biggest things that I had to learn was prioritising. In a busy A&E, you can’t do everything at once, so knowing what’s urgent and what can wait is key.
I watched doctors & nurses make critical decisions in seconds, and with time, I started developing that instinct, too. Not every shift was easy. There were days when the workload felt extremely overwhelming, and I questioned if I was cut out for this. Seeing patients in distress, dealing with difficult situations and experiencing the emotional toll of the job was tough. But on the flip side, there was a sense of achievement when you help someone, even in a small way.
What I took away:
Teamwork is everything.
I saw firsthand how Doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare professionals work together under pressure, with good communication, saving lives.
Confidence comes with experience.
My placement pushed me out of my comfort zone and ended up being one of the most valuable placements I’ve had. By the end of my placement, I was confident with taking the initiative and trusting my judgement and knew I made the right decision to study nursing.
Self-care is important.
Placements can be exhausting, both physically and mentally. I learned that looking after myself by hydrating, taking breaks when possible, and reflecting on tough cases made a difference.
For those who have been on an A&E or any other placement, what was your experience like? And those about starting, what are you most looking forward to or nervous about?
Annabel (Kingston Rep)

thank you for sharing your experience! this was very helpful for me because i'm strongly considering emergency care as well but wondering if i'm cut out for the fast-paced, make-a-decision-now! kind of work.
i will soon be studying msc adult nursing as well and have always wanted to ask: how do you come by your selection of placements in the first place? are you asked by your module leaders to submit a list of personal preferences of your desired nursing fields at the start of the semester? do you have any say whatsoever in where you end up? what if you have a specific nursing specialty in mind that you hope to pursue?