Almost half of surveyed emergency nurses say they cannot deliver the care patients need

CENA's survey found 58% of respondents had seriously considered leaving emergency nursing in the past year, highlighting urgent staffing and capacity pressures.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, November 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ --
Almost half of respondents to a College of Emergency Nursing Australasia (CENA) national survey say they cannot provide the standard of care they believe patients need on most shifts, while 58% have seriously considered leaving emergency nursing in the past year.

CENA is calling for urgent action on safer staffing and retaining experienced nurses following its 2026 Member and Community Survey.

CENA President Associate Professor Kelli Innes said the findings raised immediate concerns about patient care and the future workforce.

“Patients need timely assessment, monitoring and pain relief. Nurses are telling us they too often cannot provide the standard of care they believe those patients need,” Associate Professor Innes said.

“More than half of respondents have seriously considered leaving emergency nursing in the past year. Governments and health services need to act on the conditions that would make them stay.

“Every experienced nurse who leaves takes clinical expertise, leadership and the ability to guide less experienced colleagues with them.”

Respondents reported seeing delayed observations, longer waits, delayed pain relief and patients receiving care in corridors. Stronger national advocacy on emergency department nurse staffing was their leading priority for CENA.

“Staffing needs to reflect patient numbers, how unwell patients are and the experience of the nursing team,” Associate Professor Innes said.

“Patients waiting for admission also need access to an appropriate hospital bed. Emergency departments cannot resolve these pressures alone.”

Key survey findings

Among respondents:
• 48% could not provide the standard of care they believed was needed on most shifts.
• 58% had seriously considered leaving emergency nursing in the past year.
• 60% had worked with staffing levels they considered unsafe several times a week or more in the past month.
• 70% faced access block or overcrowding on most shifts.
• 83% said workplace violence had become normalised.

Respondents prioritised more inpatient beds, retention incentives for experienced emergency nurses and minimum safe staffing.

CENA will take the findings to governments and work with nursing and medical organisations to press for action on staffing, hospital capacity, workplace violence and retention.

ENDS

About the survey
The survey received 300 self-selected responses between 17 July and 15 September 2026. Findings reflect those who responded and are not representative estimates for the emergency nursing workforce.

Claire Johnson
College of Emergency Nursing Australasia
+61 401 282 550
advocacy@cena.org.au
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