Nurse staffing levels and skill mix in accident and emergency departments.

This paper examines the history of nurse staffing and skill mix in accident and emergency (A&E) departments, and reports results from a study which examines numbers of staff and relates this to numbers of patients and organisation of work in A&E departments throughout one region. The types of procedures undertaken by nurses and the qualifications they held are also analysed. Conclusions about present variations in staffing in A&E departments are drawn, with recommendations for further study.