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

a nurse. The role of a
nurse is very different than the role of a doctor. A doctors’ primary role is to treat the body. A
nurse treats the person as a whole; mind, body and spirit, providing patient with comfort and a
safe environment. A nurse job is physically and emotionally demanding. The job requires the
nurse to spend a lot of time walking, standing, lifting, stretching and bending. Patients need an
outlet to voice fears, concerns or to vent and most of the time it will be with the nurse. Emotional
aspect of nursing is burnout. Burnout can be labeled as a folding of the human soul. Perhaps the
best-known multidimensional definition presents burnout as a syndrome of emotional
exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment (Kanste,O.2008). It is a
incapacitating condition that can develop in anyone.

(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

in
the field of nursing requires not only experience in the workplace, it requires extensive training
and higher academic degrees. Transitioning from a staff nurse to a nurse teaching position or
hospital administrative position requires a master’s degree. The average Registered Nurse with
an associates degree earn approximately 68,000 dollars a year. Regardless of the field of nursing
you pursue the job outlook and pay is good. Based on United States bureau of Labor statistics the
job outlook for nurses is projected to grow 16% from 2011 to 2014. This projection is faster and
more than the average growth projected for most medical professions.