Nursing duties encompass a wide range of responsibilities aimed at promoting patient health, preventing illness, providing care, and supporting recovery. Common nursing duties include conducting health assessments, administering medications, monitoring patient conditions, documenting care, patient education, communicating with the healthcare team, and advocating for patients[1][2][4].
- Health Assessments: Nurses perform physical examinations, collect health histories, and regularly monitor vital signs to determine a patient’s baseline and identify changes in condition[1][6].
- Administering and Monitoring Medications: Administration and careful monitoring of medications are core responsibilities, including observing for side effects and ensuring dosage accuracy while documenting all interventions[1][4][5].
- Direct Patient Care: Duties include wound care, assisting with activities of daily living (e.g., bathing, feeding), providing comfort, maintaining hygiene, and dressing changes[2][4][7].
- Patient Education: Nurses provide education on diagnoses, treatment plans, medication usage, and preventive health measures, empowering patients to participate in their own care[2].
- Communication and Advocacy: Nurses act as a liaison between patients, families, and healthcare teams, conveying important information, advocating for patient needs, and ensuring preferences are respected[2][4][6].
- Care Coordination: Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement individualized care plans, arrange follow-up care, and ensure efficient workflow is essential[1][3][8].
- Monitoring and Record Keeping: Maintaining accurate medical records, documenting treatments, symptoms, and patient progress is fundamental for continuity of care and legal accountability[5][6].
- Clinical Procedures: Nurses may assist with or perform clinical tasks such as IV insertion, wound care, specimen collection, and basic diagnostic procedures[1][3][7].
- Support and Emotional Care: Offering empathy and support to patients and their families, especially during difficult diagnoses or procedures, is a central nursing duty[4].
References
- [1] Registered Nurse Duties | Eisenhower Health Careers
- [2] The 8 Most Core Nursing Responsibilities to Patients
- [3] Registered Nurse (RN) Job Description – Neighbor Health Center
- [4] What Does a Nurse Do? 10 Duties of a Nurse | Indeed.com
- [5] Registered Nurse Job Description – Betterteam
- [6] Nurse – Explore Healthcare Careers
- [7] Registered Nurse Job Description [Updated for 2025] – Indeed
- [8] The Role of Nurses in Improving Health Care Access and Quality
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