Aim To explore the experiences and perceptions of recent nursing graduates working in emergency departments during the COVID‐19 outbreak. Background Overcrowding in emergency departments has been one of the most prominent issues arising in these units for more than 20 years. However, it has become even more problematic due to the novelty of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced hospitals to recruit larger numbers of beginner nursing staff as the number of quarantined health professionals increases. Methods Sixteen semi‐structured interviews were conducted in Spanish emergency departments, which were analysed and synthesized using content analysis. Results Three major themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) Fears and concerns, (b) Organisational issues and (c) Support for novice nurses. Conclusions Our findings may help to understand how shadowing periods as a learning programme for nurses, continuing professional development, evidence‐based apps and better planning are needed to ensure both novice nurses’ confidence in emergency departments and expert emergency room nurses’ ability to cope with complications in critical situations. Implications for Nursing Management Training periods that include shadowing expert emergency room nurses, along with evidence‐based technology, provide an opportunity to support novice nurses’ transition into the workplace. These measures would provide a safety net and would increase novice nurses’ confidence as well as high‐quality care.

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Emerging themes that contribute to comprehending the phenomenon of dignity in end-of-life care in the emergency department are expected to be found. This study's results could have important implications in the implementation of new interventions in emergency departments. These interventions would be focused on improving: the social acceptance of death, environmental conditions, promotion of autonomy and accompaniment and assumption (takeover) of dignified actions and attitudes (respect for human rights).