NURSING ROLE

The Role of the Nurse

The Role of the Nurse

Introduction

Nurses play one of the most significant roles in the facilitation of healthcare services. A patient is the focus of the nurse's care. Nurses take care of the ill and wounded in hospitals and clinics, where they strive to preserve health and safety and help relieve the pain of those suffering. A lot of people still need nursing care even when they are moved home from hospital, so nurses often render home care to such patients on the very same lines as in the hospital (Feldman, 2008). In clinics and other healthcare facilities in communities where there are limited medical executives, nurses diagnose and treat common diseases and illnesses, give out prescriptions and even conduct minor surgical operations if needed. Nurses are also very active in promoting public health and in preventing disease at the community level (Moyet, 2005).

Role of the Nurse

A nurse performs a wide range of roles in a healthcare environment. Nursing involves looking after the sick, performing the procedures suggested by the doctor, and collaborating closely with the doctors and the entire medical team for assessing the patient and treating his or her illness. Nursing demands coordination with the work of all other parties concerned with taking care of the patient, especially the family members, who may do a lot of care work for the patient. The nurse also makes sure that the patient is protected through measures and precautions for preventing infection and contagion, and ensuring a safe and healthy environment in the hospital. Finally, nursing involves educating the patient and his or her family about health-related affairs and encouraging the welfare of the patient under all circumstances and even speaking on their behalf if needed (Watson, 2008).

Care for the Patient

Caring is the essence of nursing. Nurses provide care to the patients continuously round the clock. They assist patients in doing their routine things, which they cannot do for themselves because of their condition. They make sure that the patients can breathe properly and have adequate intake of nutrition and fluids. They ensure the comfort of the patients and that they get sufficient rest and sleep. They help the patients in getting rid of the wastes from the body, as well as, in avoiding the harmful outcomes of lack of mobility such as stiffness and pressure sores. The nurse relies on medical knowledge and awareness about conditions, as well as, nursing in making independent decisions about the care a patient receives in conformity with the history of the problem. Above all, the nurse renders emotional comfort and moral support to the patients and their families (Risjord, 2009).

Helping the Doctor to Cure the Patient

In the past, it was only the doctors who assessed and diagnosed a patient's illness and prescribed the treatment and medication. Today, nurses have a significant role in diagnosing the patients and their issues. It is the nurses who perform most of the treatments needed by a ...