What are the general responsibilities and duties of nurses in the hospital?

Question

what are the general responsibilities and duties of nurses in the hospital? what are their primary work in the hospital?

Answer 1

My mother is a nurse so I can answer this some-what.

It depends on what type of nurse you are.

Clearly, a desk nurse will be doing necessary paperwork given, answer phone calls, and simple tasks asked of her/him.

If you are mainly on the surgical floor, you will be helping in operations.

The basics my mother does, is visit her patients, make sure their requirements (blood sugar, temperature, breathing, etc,) are filled, gives check ups to younger children and adults, gets patients ready to see the doctor.

Again, it all depends on what TYPE of nurse you are.

Answer 2

Depends on which department you work in.  If you work as a labor and delivery nurse, your work is a whole lot different than if you work in an oncology unit.

Generally, nurses take vitals, assess their patients, pass pills, start IV's, give baths, round with the docs, and keep them informed of how their pt is doing. I spend the 1st part of my morning reviewing lab results and knowing which ones are important enough to call the the doc. I evaluate pts for pain and treat them for it.  I check all the vital signs, and make sure its ok to pass pills to each and every patient.  I usually take about 2-3 phone calls from family members.  I stop in rooms and feed little old ladies and gentleman their breakfast. I chart, chart and chart somemore.  I usually spend some time on the phone with other departments such as the cath lab, Cardiac diagnostics, Ultrasound, and Xray.  I get things lined up for my patients for that day and make sure I know all the preps were done for each and every test ordered.  

I assign beds to patients coming in from the doctors offices.  I make sure proper isolation procedures are being carried out on patients with "super bugs".  I arrange trays be brought to the floor for the MD to do thoracentesis, and minor procedures. I start IV's, access ports, change dressings,

It goes on and on and on.

Answer 3

As an RN you can do just about anything. The people above are right. It DOES depend on what type of nurse you want to be, but it also depends what degree you receive. ADN or two year degree RN's can do any kind of bedside nursing you can think of. BSN's or 4 year degree nurses can expand a little and get into management and education.

I do all kinds of things here in the hospital. I work in the CVICU (cardiovascular ICU) we do open heart surgeries, cardiac caths, any kind of vascular surgeries you can think of, but I also take care of any other ICU patients that need care, too. Overdoses, car wrecks, life supported patients......

I work nights, too. I go in at 7pm and get done at 7 am....it's great!

Are you thinking of becoming a nurse??

Good Luck!