Duties Of A Nurse Essay

Nursing

Traditionally nursing has been around for centuries. Every woman and mother have performed the duties of a nurse at one time or another by providing care for sick and injured household members. During early 1870’s women employed as nurses in urban hospitals were untrained working class with low status. These women were considered no different than hospital janitors. From the battlefields, the institutions formerly known as Alms during the
American Colonial days, to caregivers in the home; men and women served as nurses and the only requirement was a desire to help others. Nursing is an old profession; as old as man. However, it was not recognized as a profession until the early 1900’s. Today an associate’s degree and nursing license are the minimum requirement to be

(Epp,K. 2012). To be a nurse one must wear many hats. The hat of a healer, teacher,

confidant, counselor, etc… Appropriate training for nurses is extremely important due to the in depth involvement with the patients, family members and hospital staff. Above all else appropriate training is needed due to the responsibilities of a nurse. Some of the responsibilities include, but are not limited to; keeping detailed records of patient medical history and symptoms, observing patients and administering medication, effectively communicating with patients and hospital staff to ensure patient has the best possible outcome, setting up plan for patient care and teaching patient and family members of patients how to provide home care. The nurse also performs diagnostic test and analyze the results. Duties of a nurse vary depending on the field of study and place of employment. Certainly a school nurse would not perform the same task of an emergency room nurse. Like most medical professions there are different areas of expertise. An associate’s degree in nursing will get you a position as a staff nurse. However; advancement