Nurses Roles and Responsibilities

Autonomy and Accountability

Autonomy is necessary in the nursing profession for providing care, health management to patient even
without medical orders such as cleaning wounds, assist patient in doing morning care and other
independent approach. This comes with accountability, nurses should be responsible professionally and
legally in all the nursing care provided. Nurses should have competent level of skills and knowledge on
providing care to patients.

Caregiver
Nurses assist the patients to regain and maintain health and to reach the maximum level of function. In
providing this, nurses should provide patients with measures on how to restore their selves holistically.

Advocate
Nurses act as advocate to patients which means they act on behalf of them. They protect their patient’s
human and legal rights by providing them additional information about certain procedures before
undertaking them. For example informing the patient the importance of doing the procedure and also what
are the consequences of not doing it.

Educator
Nurses educate patient by promoting health to the patients by informing them facts about health. Educate
them about healthy lifestyle and informing them about the benefit they can get by doing it.

Communicator
Nurses should be an effective communicator, because nurses always communicates with patients , their
families, and also other healthcare professionals. You get to assess the patients by communicating,
effective communication provide accurate nursing intervention to patients.

Manager
Nurse managers establish a setting that is promoting patient-centered approach that provides safe and high
quality care to patients. Managers coordinate all the activities to each member of staff in providing
nursing care that reflects the mission and values of the institution.

Nurse Researcher
The nurse researcher conducts evidenced-based practice through research to look for ways to improve
heath and nursing care. This is to deliver services more effectively and efficiently, and to improve the
quality of life for patients suffering chronic diseases.

Reference: Potter, P. A., Perry, A., Stockert, P. A., & Hall, A. M. (2017). Fundamentals of Nursing (9th
ed., Vol. 1, p 3-5).