Foundations of Nursing I
Subtopic:
The Role of the 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.