Do you have an idea of what nurses do? Probably you might have seen one in action at some point in your life. Nurses are the most trusted professionals in the world. One nurse volunteered to explain to us their duties and gave us a scene of this impactful career.
Here are the nine prominent, versatile roles and responsibilities of nurses in the health care setup.
1. Nurses are Good Teachers
A nurse educates your patient and the family members, as there is a need to know how to care for themselves or one of the family members once they reach home. They also educate others about the symptoms, procedures, and illnesses they confront in the healthcare setup until leaving. For example, in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), they give tons of education on breastfeeding, medical devices, infant sleep safety, bathing, developmental expectations, and so on. In addition, they have good communication, listening, collaboration, adaptability, empathy, and patience skills, enabling them to teach.
2. Nurses in Leadership Roles
Nowadays, nurses are actively engaged in leadership roles in health care. Nursing leadership roles focus on affecting changes within the healthcare setup, thus becoming change agents. Nurses, as leaders, will seek to initiate changes that will benefit people’s health as they observe any untoward change in the healthcare setup. Nurse administrators make hiring and firing decisions within the hospital. They also solve problems and overcome difficult times.
3. They are Care Providers
Furthermore, they deliver both continuous and comprehensive care to families, people, and the entire community. Their emphasis is based on promotive and preventive health care. They thus approach the community to persuade them to implement promotional and preventive measures. As a result, there is a gain in acceptance, trust, and confidence in the patient’s care during illness. Supervision is available at school, work, home, clinic, and other locations. A nurse as a care provider is well illustrated when a nurse recognizes a patient coping with a stressful psychological situation. They thus act as care providers.
4. Nurses are good advisors
Nurses give suggestions where immediate action is to be required. In addition, they give advice where there is little or no scope for health education. For instance, a diabetes mellitus patient may be advised on the food to eat and not to, though it will depend on the social-economic condition of the family or individual. You need excellent communication skills to approach your work positively as a good advisor.
5. Nurse as an Advocate
Nurses seek justice for their patients, especially in the most vulnerable societies. They require courage, compassion, and competence to ask as an advocate. They achieve this through providing an open dialogue with patients concerning symptoms and self-care habits, giving patients and family members room to ask questions, and integrating legal and ethical knowledge into nursing care. As an advocate, you must protect patients’ health, safety, and rights.
6. They Act as Coordinators
As coordinators, they plan with other medical teams to provide appropriate care for the patient. Excellent organizational and communication skills are what is required in this role. Nurse coordinators assist patients by helping them navigate the medical system to get the care and treatment they need to prevent hospital readmission. As a coordinator, you must organize treatment plans between the patient and the medical team.
7. Nurse Performs Diagnostic Tests
Nurses conduct both non-invasive and invasive diagnostic tests on patients to examine various vital signs. Invasive involves puncturing the skin to perform diagnostic tests, for example, removing blood samples for blood glucose testing. Non-invasive is done on the skin of the patients. For instance, the electrocardiogram is a non-invasive diagnostic test. They do this under general rules and procedures regarding diagnostic tests. Doctors use those tests to rule out conditions and diseases.
8. Nurse as Rehabilitate
She assists patients in returning to pre-injury levels of functioning after an illness, accident, or other adversity. A patient reaches independence through the established realistic goals and treatment plans of the nurse. Nurses frequently coordinate patient care and team activities as part of a multidisciplinary team.
9. The nurse as a Comforter
Nurses treat patients as an individual with distinct feelings and needs. She does only encourage patients to achieve therapeutic goals but also promotes comfort by remaining near them. Patients require nurses’ comfort more than a medical diagnosis.
With those roles with you, nursing care should be present in every Kenyan. Many people in our communities suffer from infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and economic hardship. It will enhance the well-being of individuals and communities.
I have outlined a nurse’s prominent roles and responsibilities to help you better understand this critical and in-demand profession. In addition, knowing more about the different types of nurses will help you decide whether you want to work in this field or not, as well as what role you want to play in the twenty-first century.
What are the other roles and responsibilities of nurses? Let us know in the comment section below.
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