Nurses play vital role in medical settings. They are there to provide care for every patient. Nurses are not uncommon occupation. In fact, almost everyone has familiar with nurses and what they do in basic. However, there are still many misconceptions about nurse duties and responsibilities. Nursing is not an easy profession. It requires fitness and well-being both physically and mentally.
Most people though that nursing is about tasks and skills in providing care needed of patients. Nurses are also required to have critical thinking because they are often faced with various situations and circumstances. They should understand and comprehend what is happening to the patient.
Nurses also should be able to know what kind of tasks/actions to perform for the patient’s best interest. Nurses should know what to anticipate from said actions. Sometimes, they anticipate don’t the actual outcomes. Thus, nurses should take another action to overcome it.
Live Saver
In the past, people only view nurses as doctor’s “handmaidens’’. However, nurses are beyond role. Nurses play significant role in medical settings. They are also life saver for every patients. Nurse hold vital responsibilities and duties on daily basis. They are the ones who care for patients from the start of their admission to the times they recover and complete the treatment.
Nurses are responsible for monitoring patient’s health. They are the ones who usually notice if there are any irregularities and problems. For example, the labs will provide the results of a patient’s medical test. The nurses are the one who review the result. Then, they make decisions and communicate the problems or concerns to the other care team or health professionals such as doctors or specialists.
Nurses are now often relied for giving suggestions especially during diagnosis and care planning. It is because they are the ones who keep monitoring the patients. They know the patient’s health condition and progress the most.
Teaching is also part of duty nurses posses that most people are unaware of. Nurses have responsibility to teach and educate their patients including the patient’s families. They educate about procedures, illness, as well as symptoms. Therefore, patients and their families will know how to care for themselves and their family member once they are out of the health care environment.
Broader Duties
Nurses also have duty of broader context in giving care to patients. It is beyond the health care environment. Nurses has duty related to holistic approach in nursing their patients. Nurses are allowed to provide care in the matter of mental, physical, and spiritual perspectives when treating their patients. Furthermore, providing emotional support is part of duty that is often viewed as rewarding for nurses. It is not only the patient they are supporting with, but also the families.
Nurse is a challenging occupation where you are required to give physical and emotional support while being restricted by the protocols. Nursing is basically technical work with specific protocols and procedures to ensure safety and cleanliness of patients.