The most important aspect is clinical care of the patients.
The RN has to know the requirements of the patients under their care.
In most hospitals the nurses are also expected to accompany the doctors in the ward rounds.
If there are changes with the patient, then the doctor is updated, these includes discussing developments that have taken place since the patient was put under their care.
Part of patient care includes supervision of rehabilitation procedures and therapies.
Nurses must at all times ensure that patients are in the best comfort possible within the confines of the hospital and also to assist patients access specialized healthcare like counselling should the patient request such help.
When it comes to patients, due diligence must observed to avoid lawsuits that can arise from negligent actions of the service providers.
In the disbursement of their duties, the nurses also ensure that drug therapy is administered to the patients.
This may include patiently explaining to the patient what they are doing and why they are doing it.
Related to these duties is the collection of accurate data from patients and in the event that a nurse has just been allocated a new patient, such a nurse should take time to study the file presented to them.
This allows for optimal delivery of services.
The nurses coordinate the running of most hospitals by forwarding and receiving laboratory results that had been ordered.
They also coordinate tasks of the various doctors in the health facilities and enforce some of their decisions or recommendations.
They also delegate tasks to their assistants and orderlies.
The nurses thereby take part in the administration of the facility.
Administrative services taking care of the inventory, ensuring machines like the MRIs under their department are working, ensuring that high standards of cleanliness are maintained as well as to keep records of drugs that are used in the hospital with the help of the pharmacists.
Other administrative activities involve clerical work and office procedures.
In some medical facilities the nurses are expected to assist with the implementation of hospital policies that are of benefit to the patients within their care.
Every hospital has an area in which records are kept, such records are supposed to be up to date and have detailed records on the status of the patient.
It is the work of the nurses to ensure that they are filled out where necessary and updated.
In the case of private care, services that may be otherwise carried out by other staffmay now be carried out by the nurses.
Private care may also include more personalized care.
Some duties that nurses have to undertake may change according to their contracts as well as with the decision of the hospital management.