Roles and responsibilities of a nurse

Roles and Responsibilities of a Nurse

When nurses care for patients, they take on a variety of roles. These tasks are frequently performed jointly by nurses rather than exclusively by one. For instance, while giving physical care and instructing on certain aspects of the care, a nurse may also serve as a counselor. The following are the functions and duties of nurses:

Health care provider

The traditional definition of the care provider role includes actions that support the patient physically and psychologically while maintaining the patient's dignity. A nurse's role as a caregiver involves giving patients direct care in a number of settings. The physical, psychological, cultural, and spiritual elements of caregiving are all included. A nurse offers medical and PHC services. In her role as a caregiver, the nurse aids the patient's recovery from illness. The nurse attends to the client's holistic health care requirements, including steps to reestablish their social, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

A nurse in the community mostly concentrates on preventive and promotive care, but she also offers curative treatment to those who are ill or injured. As a caregiver, she offers services like health instruction, injection administration, dressing, nursing care as needed by patients, and medication delivery, among others.

Teacher/educator

The most crucial component of PHC is health education, which also plays a crucial role in putting other components into practice. People cannot achieve or retain health until and unless they understand how to practice healthy behavior and sustain health by making the necessary changes in their lives. A nurse acts as a teacher by assisting the patients in learning about their health and the medical procedures they must complete in order to improve or maintain their health. Nurses evaluate the client's learning requirements and readiness to learn, define specific learning objectives together with the client, put teaching techniques into practice, and track learning. Nurses inform patients and aid in their learning new information and technical skills. A nurse who works in clinical or educational settings, typically with an advanced degree, teaches theoretical information, clinical expertise, and does research. Along with teaching the unlicensed helpers to whom they entrust their care, nurses also impart their knowledge to other nurses and medical professionals. Every day, nurses interact with members of the community; as a result, they are familiar with both individual and collective needs. As a result, a nurse can readily and continuously impart knowledge to the community while also influencing people's knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

 Manager

As a manager, the nurse collaborates and consults with other medical specialists, as well as manages the tasks of other healthcare team members including dietitians and physical therapists. In a number of circumstances, a nurse takes on the position of manager. She will be responsible for planning, implementing, and leading a nursing team that will oversee nursing staff and other auxiliary personnel. The nurse should take on the role of management, organizing various programs, personnel, resources, and goals and policies. She oversees and keeps track of everything to make sure that everything is running smoothly and that the supplies are current. She inspires and stimulates her team members to be dedicated to their work, effective, and content with what they do.

Motivator

A person's inner drive that propels them to take a particular action is called motivation. Behavior changes cannot be anticipated to occur without motivation. The community's residents are inspired by a nurse to identify their health requirements, grow their desire to lead healthy lifestyles, and raise knowledge of issues like sanitation, hygiene, and health. People won't use the health services that are offered to them until they are interested in them and aware of their needs. As a result, a nurse raises awareness and inspires patients to improve and preserve their own health.

Researcher

To some extent or another, a nurse must perform research. A nurse records information on nursing practice and patient issues that may be used as baseline data for future study or she may take an active role in it. Research is frequently used by nurses to enhance client care. Nurses need to be somewhat familiar with the methodology and vocabulary of research in a clinical setting. They should be considerate of issues pertaining to safeguarding the rights of human subjects, take part in the selection of pressing research questions, and exercise judgment when evaluating research findings. To a greater or lesser extent, a nurse must perform research. A nurse keeps a record of the information about nursing practice and patient issues that can be used as baseline data for research in the future or she can participate directly in the research. Nurses frequently use research to enhance patient care. Nurses working in a clinical setting must have some understanding of the methodology and vocabulary of research. They should be aware of the concerns surrounding the protection of the rights of human subjects, take part in the identification of important researchable issues, and be selective in their use of research findings.

Supervisor

In order to ensure that subordinates are working in accordance with the organization's plans and policies, keeping to their assigned schedules, and resolving any issues at work, supervisors must keep an eye on them while they are at work. A PHC nurse who is a supervisor looks after CHN or subordinates. She monitors, inspires, orients, and directs their action to achieve the pre-established goals.

Change agent

When a system, such as clinical care, is not benefiting a client in recovering from illness, nurses frequently make changes to it. They function as change agents by helping people who are clients modify their own behavior. The healthcare system is always changing, and nurses must deal with it. As change agents, PHC nurses influence community members' attitudes, behaviors, and perspectives on health in order to eradicate risky and harmful practices. She assists people in accepting necessary changes in their lives so that they can live simpler, better lives.

Communicator

Nurses communicate with patients, family members, other medical professionals, and members of the public. Nurses detect client issues and then convey these to other members of the healthcare team verbally or in writing. Effective caregiving, decision-making with clients and families, management of client care coordination, and rehabilitation support are all impossible without communication. The nurse is also in charge of patient charting, which is essential to continuity of treatment and written communication. To provide the patients' healthcare, the nurse must be able to speak clearly and precisely.

Co-ordinator

To boost the success of the program promoting health, the nurse must collaborate with a variety of societal sectors. The nurse assesses, plans, develops, executes, and evaluates interventions in collaboration with the patient and other members of the health care team. She must collaborate with individuals from the community's development sectors, such as agriculture, banking, industry, education, communication, and animal husbandry, who are both wealthy and impoverished, political leaders and businesspeople.

Facilitator

A nurse can serve as a facilitator in a variety of capacities, including health education, trainings, and the provision of opportunities to learn about a wide range of topics, including health facilities, the education sector, sources of other facilities, sources of income, various methods of waste disposal, and various health practices. Therefore, nurses both deliver the message to the public and serve as information brokers.

Decision maker

Utilizing critical thinking abilities to make judgments, establish goals, and promote outcomes for a patient is another decision-making function for a nurse. These critical thinking abilities comprise patient assessment, problem identification, intervention design and implementation, and outcome evaluation. To choose the best course of action for the patient, a nurse uses clinical judgment, or his or her capacity to recognize what is best for the patient.

Client advocate

Among all the nursing responsibilities, advocating for the patient may be the most crucial. The nurse's duty is to uphold a patient's rights as their representative. Concern for and advocacy on behalf of the client are necessary to effect change. People who are ill are unable to behave as they may when they are healthy. The nurse speaks up for the patient's best interests at all times and supports his or her decisions. When a patient realizes that his ideals come before those of the medical professionals, he or she may feel empowered.

Evaluator

A nurse assesses the work completed to raise its standard and boost its impact on the neighborhood. Continuous evaluation is necessary to identify whether or not the predetermined goals have been achieved. In order to decide on program changes, it also helps to identify the challenges. Without bias, evaluation should be conducted frequently and in all areas.

Problem solver

As a nurse, she must assist people in resolving health issues that arise in the hospitals and communities where she works.

Leader

The leader's role can be utilized on a variety of scales, including with a single client, a family, a group of clients, coworkers, or the community.

Counselor

A nurse focuses on helping the client to develop new attitudes, feelings, and behaviors by encouraging the client to look at alternative behaviors, recognize the choices, and develop a sense of control. The majority of the clients they counsel are healthy individuals going through normal adjustments and difficulties. She or he assists the client in identifying and resolving challenging psychological or social issues, cultivating and enhancing interpersonal connections, and fostering personal development.

Advisor

A CHN nurse naturally builds strong bonds with the residents of a particular town since she cares for local families. A nurse can operate as a consultant since people and families seek to them for advice most often in relation to practical and urgent health-related issues.

Administrator

The management and administration of the resources and personnel used to provide patient care is the responsibility of a nurse who performs at various levels of management in healthcare settings.

Clinical specialists

A nurse works as a clinical consultant, delivers high-quality care to patients, assists in educating other healthcare workers, and engages in research.

Nurse practitioner

A nurse is competent in conducting examinations, providing counseling and teaching, as well as treating mild and self-limiting illnesses.

Nurse anesthetist

A nurse who has completed the anesthesia school's study program and oversees clients' pre-operative status.

Nurse entrepreneur

A nurse with advanced education who oversees healthcare-related operations.

Nursing through Time and Space

The history of nursing in Nepal and around the world, nursing as a profession, and nursing law are the main topics of this chapter. Additionally, it covers nursing ethics, which is crucial for students to understand in order to make informed nursing decisions.