Duties of Nurses

Duties and Responsibilities of Staff Nurses and Nursing sisters

Objectives:

1. Lists own responsibilities and that of staff nurses.
2. Lists the tasks and activities required to fulfill each responsibility.
3. Identifies areas of job responsibilities in which help would be needed and in which help could be given to subordinates.

Introduction:

Job description as a written summary of duties and responsibilities of a employee. It is a set of contract between employee and employer.

Written job descriptions are required:

1. To direct action for the desired goal of the organization.
2. To provide clarity of job be done.
3. To avoid legal implication.
4. To specify delegation of authority.
5. To avoid duplication of work and to fix responsibilities and duties.

Job description as given by Ministry of Health

Job description of Sister

Job Title: Sister

Place of Work: Hospital

Class/Level: Gazetted 3rd Class

Qualifications: R.N./R.M./B.Sc. in Nursing

Experiences: According to Civil service Act.

Responsible For: Staff Nurse, ANM and Supporting staff.
Responsible to: Matron, Assistant Matron, Hospital Director, various departments of hospital and other national and international agencies.

Roles:

She plays role of manager in unit where there is above 25 beds and as nursing administrator in 25 bedded hospital. She also plays a role as educator, supervisor, researcher, facilitator, counselor and evaluator within her department.

Functions:

A. Clinical Activities:

1. Assesses the situation of given unit in relation to different types of patient’s care, facilities provided by the nursing personnel.
2. Identifies the patient’s need/problem in the unit.
3. Assigns the patient’s care and others activities to nursing personnel.
4. Evaluates the patient’s care given by nurses.
5. Attends Doctor’s round and Matron and Assistant Matron’s Clinical rounds.
6. Checks and caries out and delegates Doctor’s instruction and order after round.
7. Participates and refers the patient for rehabilitation therapy.
8. Guides and conducts health education activities to client as required including MCH/FP disease control and health promotion.

B. Supervisory Activities

1. guides and supervises all staff for giving bed side nursing care.
2. Maintains regular records, report concerning the patient’s care.
3. Provides direct guidance and supervision of nursing and non-nursing personnel for the efficient running of the wards and in carrying out nursing routines, bearing in mind the individual needs of patients.
4. Encourages motivates, assesses the effectiveness of their own works and develops their potential for giving good nursing care.
5. Uses the standard guideline and manual for supervision.

Administrative Activities

1. Makes duty roaster for 24 hrs coverage in unit of the Hospital.
2. Conducts nursing conference, meeting and individual conference when necessary.
3. Investigates complaints promptly and takes action according to rules and policy of the hospital.
4. Reports and records absence and sickness of staff including leaves.
5. Maintains cleanliness of the ward and its environment, furniture, equipment, e.g. ventilation, lighting, heating, noise, odors.
6. Maintains adequate linen, other supplies, requisition for ward stores and repairs, replaces supplies as necessary.
7. Keeps up-to-date record of drugs and maintains records of its administration.
8. Checks and manages all equipment periodically, to see that it is in good order.
9. Checks daily availability and conditions of emergency equipment and supplies.
10. Maintains inventories, reports, breakages and losses.
11. Helps in Controlling the visitor of patients as needed.
12. Ensures that relatives of very ill patient are allowed to stay with patients when necessary.
13. Accompanies, the Matron on the round and reports to her any important incidents.
14. Informs Matron immediately of any special emergencies or accidents in the ward, and keeps a written record of nay incidents.
15. Coordinates between Matron and staff in her unit and also with other departments.
16. Takes active part in condemnation of useless materials.
17. Helps Matron for annual plans and budgets in her ward.
18. Delegates responsibilities to the responsible person in her absence.
19. Assist the Matron and Assistant Matron for disaster plan and organization.

D. Educative Activities

1. Identifies the learning need of staff in ward.
2. Plans, conducts and recommends the in-service education and training programme for her staff.
3. Manages and facilitates the clinical teaching activities for the students and staffs.
   

   E. Research Activities

   1. Participates in research activities within her ward after identification of needs.
   2. Conducts small scale research within her unit.

   F. Reporting and recording Activities

   1. Maintains the Records/Report of each patient in her unit.
   2. Keeps up-to-date records of inventories confidential reports and leaves.
   3. Ensures that all patient’s records are written, clearly and completely.
   4. Ensures that all records are handed over to record section promptly.

   G. Communication Activities

   1. Coordinates with staff as well as outside the institution and with agencies.
   2. Maintains good interpersonal relationships with staff and clients.

   H. Counseling Activities

   1. Guides and does counseling to staff and patients as required in her unit.

   I. Evaluative Activities

   1. Recommends Matron for her staff promotion and higher education
   2. Allows staff for self-evaluation according to given evaluation Criteria.
   3. Evaluates the total nursing and non-nursing activities in her unit.
   4. Gets feedback from clients for improvement of nursing care.
   5. Takes active participation in nursing audits.

   Job description of Staff Nurse

   Job Title: Staff Nurse

   Place of Work: Hospital
   Class/Level: Non Gazetted Class III

   Qualification: R.N./R.M./BSc. Nursing Certificate in Nursing from recognized institutions.
   Responsible to: Ward Sister, Assistant Matron and Matron.
   Responsible for: ANM and supporting staff.

   Roles:

   She is responsible to provide direct nursing care by applying the nursing
   process. Supervises ANM and co-workers gives health education to patients/relatives and helps sister in ward management.

   Function:

   A. Clinical Activities

   1. Arrives in time and takes handover of patient bed to bed.
   2. Carries out assigned job given by sister/ward in charge.
   3. Plans and provides the basic care according to the priority needs of the patients.
   4. Prepares and takes round with Doctor.
   5. Caries out instructions appropriately, (collection of specimens investigations and medications etc.).
   6. Maintains personal hygiene of patient to prevent infection.
   7. Given medicine and injection in correct procedure e.g. transfusion E.V. infusion etc.
   8. Takes responsibility of admission and discharge of the patient.
   9. Conducts and manages safe delivery and does episiotomy if needed.
   10. Maintains interpersonal relationship with staff, patients, families and community

   B. Administrative Activities

   1. Keeps adequate supplies (medicine, injection, linen etc.) and does inventory regularly.
   2. Keeps custody of drugs and maintains record of its administration.
   3. Checks all emergency drugs and equipments daily.
   4. Takes special attention about police case and absconded clients (medical, legal, dead body).
   5. Creates safe environment to prevent accidents in the ward.

   C. Educative Activities

   1. Plans and provides health education to patients and relatives.
   2. Participates in in-service education programme.
   3. Helps students in learning activities.

   D. Supervisory Activities

   1. Supervises and guides ANMs and Co-workers.
   2. Supervises patients and visitors for maintenance of health promotion.

   E. Recording and Reporting Activities

   1. Reports Critical patient’s conditions promptly to the concerned person in verbal and written.
   2. Reports any absenteeism of staff.
   3. Records and reports nursing care, treatment, medicine correctly and promptly.
   4. Reports and records any losses and breakage in the unit.

   F. Communication Activities

   1. Provides Psychological support to patient and relatives.
   2. Reports any incident to the concerned person.
   3. Gives orientation to patient and relatives about physical facilities, policy rules and regulations of the hospital.
   4. Participates in pre and post conference.
   5. Maintains good interpersonal relationship with patients’s relatives, sister, colleagues, co-workers and the department staff.

   G. Research Activities

   1. Helps and participates in research activities.

   Evaluative Activities

   1. Does self evaluation regularly.
   2. Evaluates patient’s condition and nursing care process.
   3. Assists sister in staff appraisal.
   4. Takes parts in students evaluation.

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