Foundations of Nursing 1

Subtopic:

The Role of the Nurse

Learning Objectives

Identify and describe the various roles of a professional nurse, including caregiver, communicator, teacher, counselor, manager, decision maker, rehabilitator, patient advocate, and nurse educator.
Explain the characteristics of a professional nurse, focusing on attributes such as health, competence, cleanliness, interpersonal skills, leadership, and professionalism.
List and categorize the typical activities/functions performed by a nurse in both clinical and outreach settings.
Recognize and articulate the qualities/standards expected of a good nurse, such as punctuality, confidentiality, empathy, integrity, accuracy, and accountability.
Apply knowledge through assessment, demonstrated by answering objective questions that test comprehension of nursing roles, qualities, and standards.

Roles of a Nurse

Caregiver: Addressing the physical, psychological, developmental, cultural, and spiritual needs of patients.
Patient’s Advocate and Protector: Representing the client’s/patient’s needs and wishes to other health professionals.
Communicator: Identifying patients’ problems and communicating these verbally or in writing to other members of the health team.
Teacher: Helping patients, their relatives, colleagues, and the community learn about their health and the healthcare procedures they need to perform to restore or maintain their health.
Counselor: Assisting individuals with normal adjustments and difficulties, helping them develop new attitudes, feelings, and behaviors.
Nurse Educator: Teaching nursing as a profession, maintaining clinical skills, and facilitating the development of nursing skills in students.
Manager: Coordinating and facilitating nursing services, managing nursing care by communicating with hospitalized patients, the nursing team, and the wider health team.
Decision Maker: Observing patients continuously and making decisions regarding nursing diagnoses and the steps of the nursing process.
Rehabilitator: Helping patients in rehabilitation, both in physical medical departments and psychiatric departments.

Characteristics of a Professional Nurse

Health: Good physical and mental health.
Competence: Truthful, efficient, and technically competent.
Cleanliness: Maintain personal and environmental cleanliness.
Interpersonal Skills: Confidence, open-mindedness, cooperation, and responsibility.
Leadership: Positive attitude and leadership qualities.
Professionalism: Self-belief towards human care and cure.
Cooperation: Convey a cooperative attitude towards co-workers.

Activities/Functions of a Nurse

Patient Reception: Receiving patients in outpatient departments and providing guidance.
Admission: Admitting patients to wards, ensuring comfort and reassurance.
Basic Care: Performing duties such as bed making and dusting.
Medication Administration: Administering medications and monitoring side effects.
Vital Observations: Taking and recording vital signs like pulse, respiration, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and level of consciousness.
Coordination: Coordinating patients with special services like physiotherapy, radiotherapy, and psycho-social support.
Health Education: Providing health education and immunization in units and outreach programs.
Communication: Reinforcing and explaining doctors’ instructions to patients in simple language.
Inventory Management: Keeping ward/unit inventory and making reports.

Qualities/Standards of a Good Nurse

Punctuality: Essential for the smooth running of the hospital and patient recovery.
Confidentiality: Ensuring patient information is not disclosed to outsiders.
Fidelity: Remaining faithful to commitments.
Empathy: Understanding and insight into patients’ feelings and behaviors.
Resourcefulness: Acting immediately during emergencies using available resources.
Alertness: Observing and appreciating what is being done and acting accordingly.
Tactfulness: Saying and doing the right thing with consideration for others’ feelings.
Faithfulness: Remaining loyal to patients, colleagues, and entrusted responsibilities.
Loyalty: Being loyal to patients, colleagues, and superiors.
Truthfulness: Being honest in word and deed.
Speed and Gentility: Acting quickly and politely, especially during emergencies.
Accuracy: Being correct and precise in actions.
Responsibility: Promoting health, restoring health, and alleviating suffering.
Respectfulness: Showing respect to self, patients, seniors, juniors, and authorities.
Courtesy: Being polite and considerate to others.
Integrity: Adhering to moral principles and being honest.
Justice: Ensuring equal and fair access to healthcare.
Caring: Providing care to meet patients’ physical, spiritual, and psychological needs.
Cooperation: Working with others to provide quality care.
Accountability: Being responsible for actions taken.
Responsiveness: Reacting quickly to situations, especially emergencies.
Consideration: Being thoughtful and kind to patients.
Poise: Showing dignity and composure while performing duties.
Intelligence: Demonstrating knowledge during procedures.
Emotional Control: Managing emotions like anger, irritation, love, or hatred.
Tolerance and Understanding: Realizing patients’ worries and providing sympathetic care.
Cleanliness: Maintaining personal and environmental cleanliness.

Objective Questions on Roles, Qualities, and Standards of a Nurse

Which role of a nurse involves addressing the physical, psychological, developmental, cultural, and spiritual needs of patients?
- a) Communicator
- b) Caregiver
- c) Manager
- d) Counselor
- Answer: b) Caregiver
- Rationale: The caregiver role encompasses addressing the comprehensive needs of patients.
What is the primary responsibility of a nurse as a patient’s advocate and protector?
- a) Administering medications
- b) Representing the patient’s needs and wishes to other health professionals
- c) Teaching health care procedures
- d) Coordinating nursing services
- Answer: b) Representing the patient’s needs and wishes to other health professionals
- Rationale: As an advocate and protector, the nurse represents the patient’s needs and wishes to other health professionals.
Which characteristic of a professional nurse involves maintaining personal and environmental cleanliness?
- a) Competence
- b) Cleanliness
- c) Leadership
- d) Empathy
- Answer: b) Cleanliness
- Rationale: Cleanliness involves maintaining personal and environmental hygiene, which is essential for patient recovery and infection control.
What quality of a nurse is demonstrated by being honest in word and deed to patients, fellow workers, and the community?
- a) Fidelity
- b) Truthfulness
- c) Loyalty
- d) Tactfulness
- Answer: b) Truthfulness
- Rationale: Truthfulness involves being honest in all interactions, which is vital for building trust and maintaining professional integrity.
Which role of a nurse involves helping patients, their relatives, colleagues, and the community learn about their health and health care procedures?
- a) Counselor
- b) Teacher
- c) Manager
- d) Decision Maker
- Answer: b) Teacher
- Rationale: As a teacher, the nurse educates patients and others about health and health care procedures.
What quality of a nurse involves the ability to act immediately during emergencies using available resources?
- a) Resourcefulness
- b) Empathy
- c) Accuracy
- d) Poise
- Answer: a) Resourcefulness
- Rationale: Resourcefulness involves using available resources effectively, especially during emergencies.
Which role of a nurse involves coordinating and facilitating nursing services?
- a) Communicator
- b) Manager
- c) Rehabilitator
- d) Caregiver
- Answer: b) Manager
- Rationale: The manager role involves coordinating and facilitating nursing services to ensure efficient patient care.
What quality of a nurse involves showing respect to self, patients, seniors, juniors, and all people in authority?
- a) Integrity
- b) Justice
- c) Respectfulness
- d) Accountability
- Answer: c) Respectfulness
- Rationale: Respectfulness involves showing respect to everyone, which is essential for maintaining professional relationships and patient care.
Which role of a nurse involves making decisions regarding nursing diagnoses and the steps of the nursing process?
- a) Counselor
- b) Decision Maker
- c) Teacher
- d) Communicator
- Answer: b) Decision Maker
- Rationale: The decision maker role involves making informed decisions about nursing diagnoses and care plans.
What quality of a nurse involves being responsible for any action taken either to the patients or for the hospital?
- a) Accountability
- b) Empathy
- c) Tactfulness
- d) Cooperation
- Answer: a) Accountability
- Rationale: Accountability involves being responsible for one’s actions, which is crucial for maintaining professional standards and patient safety.
Which role of a nurse involves helping patients in rehabilitation, both in physical medical departments and psychiatric departments?
- a) Teacher
- b) Rehabilitator
- c) Manager
- d) Communicator
- Answer: b) Rehabilitator
- Rationale: The rehabilitator role involves assisting patients in their rehabilitation process.
What quality of a nurse involves being composed and showing dignity of manner while performing duties?
- a) Poise
- b) Empathy
- c) Resourcefulness
- d) Accuracy
- Answer: a) Poise
- Rationale: Poise involves maintaining composure and dignity, which is important for professional conduct.
Which role of a nurse involves identifying patients’ problems and communicating these verbally or in writing to other members of the health team?
- a) Counselor
- b) Communicator
- c) Manager
- d) Decision Maker
- Answer: b) Communicator
- Rationale: The communicator role involves effectively identifying and conveying patients’ problems to the health team.
What quality of a nurse involves being thoughtful and kind to patients when rendering health services?
- a) Consideration
- b) Accountability
- c) Integrity
- d) Justice
- Answer: a) Consideration
- Rationale: Consideration involves being thoughtful and kind, which is essential for compassionate patient care.
Which role of a nurse involves assisting individuals with normal adjustments and difficulties, helping them develop new attitudes, feelings, and behaviors?
- a) Teacher
- b) Counselor
- c) Manager
- d) Rehabilitator
- Answer: b) Counselor
- Rationale: The counselor role involves helping individuals develop new attitudes, feelings, and behaviors.
What quality of a nurse involves maintaining a high standard of professional knowledge and skills?
- a) Competence
- b) Cleanliness
- c) Leadership
- d) Empathy
- Answer: a) Competence
- Rationale: Competence involves maintaining a high standard of professional knowledge and skills to ensure quality care.
Which role of a nurse involves teaching nursing as a profession and facilitating the development of nursing skills in students?
- a) Nurse Educator
- b) Manager
- c) Decision Maker
- d) Communicator
- Answer: a) Nurse Educator
- Rationale: The nurse educator role involves teaching and facilitating the development of nursing skills in students.
What quality of a nurse involves being polite and considerate to others?
- a) Courtesy
- b) Accountability
- c) Integrity
- d) Justice
- Answer: a) Courtesy
- Rationale: Courtesy involves being polite and considerate, which is important for professional interactions.
Which role of a nurse involves reinforcing and explaining doctors’ instructions to patients in simple language?
- a) Counselor
- b) Teacher
- c) Communicator
- d) Manager
- Answer: c) Communicator
- Rationale: The communicator role involves reinforcing and explaining doctors’ instructions to patients in an understandable manner.
What quality of a nurse involves adhering to moral principles and being honest to patients and colleagues?
- a) Integrity
- b) Empathy
- c) Resourcefulness
- d) Poise
- Answer: a) Integrity
- Rationale: Integrity involves adhering to moral principles and being honest, which is crucial for maintaining trust and professionalism.

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