Roles & Responsibilities of a Nurse

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1. Caregiver/ Care provider - the traditional and most essential role

functions as nurturer, comforter, provider
“mothering actions” of the nurse
provides direct care and promotes comfort of client
activities involves knowledge and sensitivity to what matters and what is important to clients
shows concern for client welfare and acceptance of the client as a person

2. Teacher - provides information and helps the client to learn or acquire new knowledge and technical skills

encourages compliance with prescribed therapy.
promotes healthy lifestyle
interprets information to the client

3. Counselor- helps client to recognize and cope with stressful psychologic or social problems; to develop an improve interpersonal relationships and to promote personal growth

provides emotional, intellectual to and psychologic support
focuses on helping a client to develop new attitudes, feelings and behaviors rather than promoting intellectual growth.
encourages the client to look at alternative behaviors recognize the choices and develop a sense of control.

4. Change agent- initiate changes or assist clients to make modifications in themselves or in the system of care.

5. Client advocate- involves concern for and actions in behalf of the client to bring about a change.

promotes what is best for the client, ensuring that the client’s needs are met and protecting the client’s right.
provides explanation in clients language and support clients decisions.

6. Manager - makes decisions, coordinates activities of others, allocate resources, evaluate care and personnel

plans, give direction, develop staff, monitors operations, give the rewards fairly and represents both staff and administrations as needed .

7. Researcher - participates in identifying significant researchable problems

participates in scientific investigation and must be a consumer of research findings
must be aware of the research process, language of research, a sensitive to issues related to protecting the rights of human subjects.

Expanded role of the nurse:

1 Clinical Specialists- is a nurse who has completed a master’s degree in specialty and has considerable clinical expertise in that specialty. She provides expert care to individuals, participates in educating health care professionals and ancillary, acts as a clinical consultant and participates in research.
2. Nurse Practitioner- is a nurse who has completed either as certificate program or a master’s degree in a specialty and is also certified by the appropriate specialty organization. She is skilled at making nursing assessments, performing P. E., counseling, teaching and treating minor and self- limiting illness.

3. Nurse-midwife- a nurse who has completed a program in midwifery; provides prenatal and postnatal care and delivers babies to woman with uncomplicated pregnancies.

4. Nurse anesthetist- a nurse who completed the course of study in an anesthesia school and carries out pre-operative status of clients.

5. Nurse Educator- A nurse usually with advanced degree, who beaches in clinical or educational settings, teaches theoretical knowledge, clinical skills and conduct research.

6. Nurse Entrepreneur- a nurse who has an advanced degree, and manages health-related business.

7. Nurse administrator- a nurse who functions at various levels of management in health settings; responsible for the management and administration of resources and personnel involved in giving patient care.