Royal College of Nursing (2026) Competency framework for registered nurses in emergency care: level 1 and 2. London: RCN.

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Clinical resources on RCN Learn

• Explore the range of quality-assured resources and courses we offer on urgent and emergency care.

GIG Cymru / NHS Wales (2024) Six goals for urgent and emergency care national programme: right care, right place, first time.

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NHS England (2026) The model emergency department: high performing urgent and emergency care pathways.

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Resuscitation Council UK: ReSPECT for healthcare professionals.

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Care Quality Commission (2023) Project reset in emergency medicine: Patient FIRST.

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Royal College of Emergency Medicine (no date) Clinical guidelines. London: RCEM.

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Royal College of Physicians (2017) National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2. London: RCP

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The Shelford Group: Safer nursing care tool

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We would like to thank the RCN Emergency Care member community for their input into the development of this subject guide

Boyd C (2023) Acute care for nurses. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.

• Access through RCN Library

Briggs J K (2021) Telephone triage protocols for nurses. 6th edn. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.

• Access through RCN library

Courtenay M and Griffiths M (eds.) (2022) Independent and supplementary prescribing: an essential guide. 3rd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Access through RCN library

Crouch, R. et al. (2026) Oxford Handbook of Emergency Nursing. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Incorporated

• Access through RCN Library

Cunningham S and Moore T (2020) Nursing skills in safety and protection. London: Routledge.

• Access through RCN Library

Diamond-Fox S, Hill B, Stone S, McCrea C, Gardner N and Roberts A (eds.) (2024) The advanced practitioner in acute, emergency and critical care. 5th edn. Wiley-Blackwell.

• Access through RCN Library

Harrison R and Daly L (2019) A nurse's survival guide to acute medical emergencies. 3rd edn. Edinburgh: Elsevier.

• Access through RCN Library

Johnson G, Hill-Smith I, Bakhai C and Khatani B (2024) The minor illness manual. 6th edn. Milton: Taylor & Francis Group.

• Access through RCN library

Peate I and Dutton H (2021) Acute nursing care: recognising and responding to medical emergencies. 2nd edn. Abingdon: Routledge.

• Access through RCN Library

Tait, D., Norris, C. and Barton, D.  (2026) Acute & critical care in adult nursing. 4th edn. London, UK: Learning Matters Ltd.

• Access through RCN Library

Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.

• Ambulance services and paramedic practice
• Emergency nursing
• Patient Safety
• Wounds and injuries

Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.

• Emergency departments
• Emergency nursing practice
• Minor injuries units
• Paramedic practice

Journals of interest for emergency care. Use these links to see details of availability.

• BMC Emergency Medicine
• British Journal of Mental Health Nursing
• Emergency Nurse
• International Emergency Nursing
• JEN: Journal of Emergency Nursing
• Journal of Nursing Management
• Journal of Prescribing Practice
• Nursing Children and Young People
• Nursing Management