The overall aim of this thesis is to obtain an understanding of Emergency Healthcare Work (EHW) at the Emergency Department (ED), including the competencies required by EHW, and based on practitioners' and managers' perspectives. Methods: In study I, a quantitative method was employed. A questionnaire was sent to all Swedish EDs and data was analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. In studies II- IV, qualitative methods were used. In study II, participant observations and individual and group interviews were conducted. In studies III-IV individual and group interviews were conducted. In studies II-IV, data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: According to head nurses, basic nursing education does not lead to sufficient competence for working at an ED and thus supplementary formal education is needed. A minority of head nurses perceive that they are completely responsible for creating preconditions for competence development (study I). The EHW is characterized by rapid, brief and standardized encounters with limited scope for providing individualized care. Practitioners strive to be adaptable by structuring EHW and they cooperate to achieve a good workflow (study II). Management is characterized by a command and control approach. Managers experience EHW as lifesaving work and they experience difficulties in meeting the expectations of their staff (study III). There is also tension between professional groups in EDs as well as hierarchical boundaries that influence the possibilities to develop competencies in EHW. The focus on competence in EHW is on account of the emergency and lifesaving nature of its actions. Purely medical competencies are valued and caring competencies are subsequently downgraded. A medical competence approach consolidates the current view of competencies necessary in everyday work in EDs (study IV). Conclusions: EHW and the competencies required by EHW are defined from a purely medicalized and result-driven viewpoint. Patients' medical needs are given greater importance than their caring needs. Medicalized and result-driven EHW makes it difficult to provide individualized care. This difficulty is a hindrance to the implementation of a holistic view in EHW.