Exploring the role of receptionists in emergency departments: a scoping review
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Exploring the role of receptionists in emergency departments: a scoping review

Hugh Gorick Postgraduate researcher, School of Health Science, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England
Amy Zile Lecturer in medical education and research assistant, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To refresh your knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of receptionists working in emergency departments (EDs)

  • To recognise the challenges commonly experienced by ED receptionists

  • To consider what additional training and support may be beneficial for ED receptionists

Receptionists have an important role in emergency departments (EDs), helping to greet and register patients and ensure the smooth functioning of the department. However, there appears to be a dearth of research about the extent of their role. This article details a scoping review that aimed to map current research about the role and responsibilities of ED receptionists. It found that there is limited research on this topic, with few studies focusing on receptionists specifically. What evidence there is suggests that ED receptionists may experience stress and workplace violence, so strategies should be devised to ensure their safety. There is also some evidence that at times ED receptionists have input into triage processes, but that managers should ensure triage is only conducted by trained clinical staff.

Emergency Nurse. doi: 10.7748/en.2025.e2220

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@hughgorick

Correspondence

h.gorick@uea.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Gorick H, Zile A (2025) Exploring the role of receptionists in emergency departments: a scoping review. Emergency Nurse. doi: 10.7748/en.2025.e2220

Published online: 15 January 2025

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more