Ever wondered what it's like to work in an Emergency Department (ED)?
Most of our Queensland public hospitals have an ED open 24 hours. They are busy places, and staff usually can't anticipate how many patients or what types of health conditions they'll see in a day.
They work in a tight-knit team which includes medical and nursing staff, allied health staff, administration, security, occupational therapists, pharmacists, social workers, wards persons and other support staff.
We went behind the scenes into one of our busiest EDs, at The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH), in a new short documentary, 'In The Heart Of...The Emergency Department'.
Filmed in real-time, cameras followed our doctors and nurses over a 48-hour period, where stories of resilience, compassion and teamwork unfolded.
Let's hear from some of the health heroes featured in the documentary, doctors Mai Sui, William and Stephen, and nurses Liam and Alison.
Meet Dr Mai Sui
Dr Mai Sui said the unpredictability of emergency medicine was like a Japanese game show, where you never know what is going to happen next.
'We joke about it sometimes, but emergency really genuinely is a team sport,' she said.
'You never know what happens in an emergency department, and any day can be different.'
She made the switch from law to medicine early in her studies and she's never looked back.
'I actually get a lot more joy out of doing medicine and helping people than I would have with law.'
Meet Registered Nurse, Liam
Liam said teamwork was at the heart of the ED life.
'There is a whole team working in the background to make sure that you get what you need and to make sure that you're looked after,' he said.
'Even if you don't see them, we might be like behind computer screens or making phone calls, continually checking in on your blood test results, continually checking your scans.'
Liam was inspired to become a nurse after watching TV show 24 Hours in A&E with his mum growing up.
'I started off working in the wards, and then I worked in the nursing pool and went all through the hospital to make sure this is definitely what I wanted, he said.
'Every time I'd come around to emergency, I just loved it.'
Meet Dr William
Born in Kaula Lumper, Malaysia, William trained to become a doctor in Ireland before moving to Brisbane in 2009.
He's been at TPCH ever since.
'I really love the emergency department and emergency medicine and really get a lot of satisfaction from trying to help patients,' he said.
'You never know what happens in an emergency department, and any day can be different.'
Dr William has had to bring his family to the ED, which helped him to better understand the patient experience.
'I've had to bring my children as well as my wife to the emergency department before and I must say, being on the other side I can totally understand some of the challenges,' he said.
'When your loved ones are unwell and you are feeling uncomfortable or they are in pain, sometimes you feel helpless.
'So, understanding what actually happens on the other side of the department actually makes it easier.'
Meet Dr Stephen
Dr Stephen enjoys the fast-pace and challenge of working in an ED.
'I work with a great team. I get to meet patients every day and try and help them as best I can. No day is the same here and I love that,' he said.
'We get hundreds of patients coming every day. It can be very, very difficult trying to manage them all at the same time.
'Our door is always open, so it sometimes feels like the flow of patients coming in is unlimited.'
Dr Stephen graduated as a doctor in Ireland in 2004 and decided to come to Australia to try a different working environment.
'It was a very, very different to my experience in Ireland,' Stephen shared.
'It was amazing to come in as a junior doctor and to see your consultant there and to call them by their first name and to have them listen to you and respect your assessments.
'I just slotted into it really quickly. I really loved it when I started in 2004 and it's 20 years later and I still love it.'
Meet Clinical Nurse Consultant/Flow Coordinator Alison
Alison explained the work of ED staff started as soon as you stepped foot in the waiting room.
'As soon as you walked through the emergency doors, someone is automatically assessing you,' she said.
'There's a lot that we can tell even without hearing your history or what symptoms you're having. If you're grabbing your chest curling over in pain, we can see that immediately and our triage starts from there.'
Alison said she loved the high intensity ED environment and providing the best patient care she can.
'Just being that softer side of the emergency team makes our job quite fulfilling. Being able to be a supportive human when it can be incredibly overwhelming for patients,' she said.
Alison said that while the ED environment could be challenging, the team had plenty of support on hand.
'We have access to employee assistance. We've [also] got access to our peer responders who might understand some of the concerns that you're going through and making sure that you've got someone who you can talk to and reach out to,' she said.
Watch now
'In The Heart Of... The Emergency Department' is a short documentary that showcases the daily workings of ED life and dedication our incredible hospital and healthcare staff bring every day to save lives.
Watch the video here.