Question about actual responsibilities of a nurse(general)

[flygirls2, BSN]

I am starting clinicals in January-so excited Woohoo!! -anyways, I have been trying to figure out 'specific' duties/responsibilities of a nurse(general). Every article I read just says that nurses are responsible for assesments, etc.---but I want to know specific procedures that nurses perform!

I.E. I used to think nurses did sutures, but now I think physicians do them?

Hope this makes sense---I want to know what specific procedures nurses typically perform, no physician needed.. Well, besides the obvious BP, temp, IV, etc. Will I be doing catheters and NG tubes, etc?

Thanks everyone!!

[allantiques4me]

congratulations on starting clinicals,Ive always located the policy manual in the facility first.It usually gives guidelines on who and how to do procedures.also you need to know your state laws regarding your scope of practice.Im sure youll be doing head to toes(my favorite)catheters Ivs ,possibly NG tubes insertions ,wound care,medication administration(po,Iv Ng,gastro tube,most drug routes.,eye,rectal,ect.I know we have removed sutures,staples,but not inserted them,Trache care ,suctioning ,maintaining ventilators,ect.all of these probably canbe done after proper licensing and orientationGood luck to you! how exciting to learn something new!

[josephinian]

hepl me pls ...what are the responsibilities of a nurse to the physician

[MrsCaseyRN]

It can vary. I used to work at a University hospital, where the residents do many of the procedures that when I went the a non university hospital, the RNs did. Example: taking out a picc was done by residents at one hospital, and by the nurses at the other.