Job description of a nurse

[Optimisticrealist]

For everyone who wants to know what I do at work..here it is. There are things that are not in the form job description. Here are a few additives of the job description of a nurse, to my fellow nurses and anyone else who wants to know.

1.) Be all-knowing. Literally all-knowing about everything from birth, to wisdom teeth extraction, to every detail of their life to this point.

2.) Be in 2+ places at once. If I had a dollar for ever time I was asked by someone, whether MD or co-worker to be in more than 2 places...in the past year..I'd be able to retire, today.

3.) Be a go-between. I am the go-between for doctors, bosses, and patients on a daily basis. If anyone has a question about an order, lab result, or why something hasn't happened (that I wasn't aware was supposed to be happening), ask the nurse...they will know.

4.) Take the blame...for everything, good or bad. Self explanatory.

5.) Active listening. Giving IV pain medication to someone who rarely ever takes Tylenol, will make you hear more than you ever wanted to know.

6.) Use good nursing judgement. For anyone who doesn't know what nursing judgement, there is a fine line between nursing judgement and practicing medicine. Carefully walk this tight rope daily.

These are my top 6. Comments or additions?

[kdkout, BSN, RN]

Depending on where you work, you are also the Dr. Yes, I know we are "only nurses," but depending on the job and situation, you may also have to be the "Dr." Make sure the right thing is ordered, offer appropriate suggestions, make sure to check the medication dosage first, etc.....basically be the nurse AND the Dr. But - never let the Dr know that of course. Think you approached this in #6. I agree with what you said - it's a very fine line, especially in a teaching hospital in July, and it's something that's not discussed openly in nursing school.

[SoaringOwl]

Depending on where you work, you are also the Dr. Yes, I know we are "only nurses," but depending on the job and situation, you may also have to be the "Dr." Make sure the right thing is ordered, offer appropriate suggestions, make sure to check the medication dosage first, etc.....basically be the nurse AND the Dr. But - never let the Dr know that of course. Think you approached this in #6. I agree with what you said - it's a very fine line, especially in a teaching hospital in July, and it's something that's not discussed openly in nursing school.

I had a professor who said it's our job to save the patients from some of these doctors. I always thought that was an interesting statement, considering MDs have significantly more training than we do, but yet we can be liable for carrying out a bad order they give us. So basically, we're expected to be smarter and more competent than some of these MD's.

[JBudd, MSN]

7. Be able to repair all the equipment on the floor.

8. Keep track of all the supplies with out a list, and know where to put your hands on anything requested, whether it is stocked on your floor or not.

[Caitlin023]

5.) Active listening. Giving IV pain medication to someone who rarely ever takes Tylenol, will make you hear more than you ever wanted to know.

This made me laugh! I'm a nursing student and just finished a paper on a patient conversation in which I had to analyze my therapeutic communication skills and factors influencing the interaction. I wrote "patient is very candid possibly d/t PCA pump with strong narcotics."