Responsibilities of a nurse. Nursing profession Personal nurse

Finishing school, many people think about what profession to connect their lives with. The profession of a nurse is very popular: every year a high competition is celebrated in all medical colleges in the country. What are the responsibilities of a nurse and what personal qualities should she have? Let's figure this out.

General information about the profession

The nurse belongs to the nursing staff. She does not have the right to diagnose herself, recommend treatment, and write prescriptions for medicines. Its main function is to carry out appointments made by a doctor or paramedic. In the absence of a doctor, a nurse treats a patient in a life-threatening condition.

The duties of a nurse depend on the place of work and specialization.

Important! Despite the fact that nurses and nurses do not deal with diagnosis and prescribing of drugs, at the medical college they study pharmacology, propaedeutics (the science of examining patients) and other subjects that allow them to have an excellent understanding of medicine.

Nursing specializations

Nurses are versatile specialists who work in all branches of medicine. They may have the following specialties:

... Assists the surgeon during the operation. She must prepare suture material and instruments, submit them during interventions, prepare the patient on the eve of the operation;
nurse anesthesiologist... He is the main assistant to the anesthesiologist-resuscitator. She can work either in the operating room or in the intensive care unit. In the operating room, an anesthesiologist is in charge of administering drugs for anesthesia, preparing anesthesia and respiratory equipment. In intensive care units, she monitors the condition of patients and provides them with the necessary assistance;
ward nurse... Carries out doctor's prescriptions directly in the ward, organizes meals for patients and provides care;
procedure nurse... Performs many different manipulations: installs intravenous catheters, installs systems, makes intravenous, intramuscular and other injections, takes blood for analysis. She can also help a doctor in carrying out medical procedures, for example, collecting cerebrospinal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) for analysis;
dressing nurse... It is engaged in dressings, therefore, it is especially in demand in surgical departments;
district nurse... Assists the local doctor in receiving and examining patients, maintains relevant documentation, and performs medical appointments;
nutritionist... Responsible for proper nutrition of patients, selects treatment tables depending on their diseases;
vaccine nurse... Ensures that all the necessary vaccines are in the vaccination room, administers serums and vaccines to both children and adults;
head nurse... Assists the head of the hospital department in the implementation of administrative activities, as well as organizes the work of nurses.

Important! To become a senior nurse, you need to get not a secondary, but a higher education at a medical university.

Places of work

Nurses can find applications for themselves:

in the clinic where they take blood from a vein and from a finger for analysis, fill out the documentation, etc.;
at ambulance stations... A nurse can go on calls with a doctor or a paramedic;
in multidisciplinary hospitals... Nurses and nurses take care of patients and carry out medical appointments;
in sanatoriums and dispensaries nurses carry out treatment and recovery procedures, make sure that people undergoing treatment receive proper nutrition;
in beauty parlors and clinics... A person with nursing education can perform cosmetic procedures or help a doctor perform them.

This is not a complete list of places where a nurse can work. This specialist is universal: there is no medical institution where nurses would not find their own use. For this reason, after graduating from college, any graduate with a nursing degree can quickly find a job that they love.

History of the profession

As early as the 11th century, the first congregations for women dedicated to caring for the weak appeared in the Netherlands and Germany. In the 13th century, Countess Elizabeth of Thuringia built a hospital at her own expense, in which she worked a lot herself. The Elizabethan community was founded in her honor. In peacetime, the "Elizabethan girls" looked after the sick, in wartime they helped wounded soldiers.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the French priest Vincent Paul organized a community of sisters of mercy. The community operated courses where women who wished could acquire the skills necessary to help sick people. The community of Vincent Paul was unique in its "secular" orientation: the sisters of mercy in it were not required to take monastic vows.

Professional nurses appeared in the 19th century, when the Englishwoman Florence Nightingale, along with her comrades-in-arms, went to provide assistance to the fighters of the Crimean War. By the way, on May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday, World Nurses Day is celebrated.

During the Crimean War, the great surgeon N.I. Pirogov actively recruited sisters of mercy from the Exaltation of the Cross community to work with the wounded soldiers. It is interesting that N.I. Pirogov entered into a dispute with the British over who was the leader in actively involving nurses in the treatment of injured soldiers. He wrote that Russian nurses took up their duties in 1854, while English ones arrived in Crimea only a year later.

How to become a nurse

To become a nurse, you have to go to a medical college or medical school. You can enter after the end of the ninth or eleventh grade. In the first case, the training will last 3 years and 10 months, in the second - 2 years and 10 months.

Externship and accelerated training for a nurse after school, as a rule, is impossible, since the study involves a large number of practices that students take in hospitals, clinics and other medical institutions.

You can enroll in a school and unlearn on a budgetary basis if you have a higher education. In this case, some of the grades for the subjects passed at the university can be rearranged. However, grades can be rearranged only if the university or institute was completed no later than 7 years before entering the school.

Assistant nurses, who in fact perform the functions of nurses and are not allowed to do dressings, injections and other manipulations, study for about a year in specialized courses, which are often available at large hospitals.

Important! When entering a number of medical schools, the average grade of the school certificate is taken into account. Sometimes you have to take the exam: it depends on the requirements of a particular educational institution. Almost always, applicants pass a psychological test for suitability for the profession.

Statutory classification of nurses

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, the following classification of nurses has been adopted:

home;
older;
guard;
procedural;
operating room;
precinct;
the youngest.

Necessary qualities

A nurse must have the following psychological properties:

sociability, ability to communicate with people... It is important to be able to establish contact with the patient, to achieve his trust, calm down and support during the difficult process of treatment;
emotional stability... Physicians are exposed to extreme stress, and a person who does not have the ability to control their emotions will quickly undergo emotional burnout;
ability to empathize... The nurse is in closer contact with patients than doctors. Empathy and compassion are very important: people in suffering who feel genuinely supported are more willing to accept treatment and recover more quickly.
tact... People suffering from a serious illness are distinguished by increased susceptibility, so the physician must be able to find the right words during a conversation and provide the patient with psychological comfort;
binding... Any healthcare professional should be aware of how important his activities are, and carefully monitor so as not to make mistakes during work and to complete what has been started, even in the event of severe fatigue or hostility towards the patient;
attentiveness... It is the nurse who is sometimes the first to notice changes in the patient's condition and inform the doctor about them. The timeliness of providing assistance and making adjustments to the prescribed treatment may depend on her observation. For example, a dry cough, which is easily confused with a symptom of an onset cold, may indicate the first stage of pulmonary edema;
accuracy... The nurse is obliged to monitor the correctness of the appointment, the expiration date of the administered drugs and a number of other important factors that affect the outcome of treatment.

What you have to do at work

The duties of a nurse at work are as follows:

performing all kinds of procedures(injections, enemas, preparation of the operating field, dressings, administration of drugs);
help to the doctor when performing medical manipulations (venous puncture, taking arterial blood for analysis, administering drugs intraosseously, etc.);
washing and sterilization medical products;
records management(nurses have to deal with a lot of documents that are filled out after each manipulation);
patient care(feeding, changing the bed, changing underwear).

Advantages and disadvantages of the profession

The main advantages of the profession include:

ease of employment: nurses are very popular specialists, so they do not have to spend a lot of time looking for work;
self-realization... Helping sick people, doctors feel themselves needed and useful specialists;
the opportunity to find a part-time job: many nurses perform various procedures at home;
the opportunity to continue education and get a higher medical education... In some universities, there are benefits for physicians with secondary specialized education. In addition, in a medical institution, you can get a targeted referral that will facilitate admission to a university or institute.

The disadvantages of the profession are:

daily shifts that can fall on holidays and weekends;
high responsibility: doctors can be held accountable for mistakes before the court;
hospital work involves serious stress, which over time can result in emotional burnout or the development of psychosomatic disorders;
doctors sometimes risk their health working with patients suffering from infectious diseases (HIV, hepatitis, etc.);
serious physical exercise.

Functional and job responsibilities of a nurse

The functional responsibilities of a nurse depend on her specialization. You can find them in the job description, which the specialist gets acquainted with when applying for a job.

The duties of a Russian nurse are as follows:

providing nursing care for patients;
performing procedures prescribed by a doctor or paramedic;
assistance in carrying out medical and diagnostic measures;
assistance in emergency conditions;
informing the doctor or the head of the department about complications that have arisen in the patient, as well as about violations of the internal order of the medical institution;
maintaining medical records.

Important! The nurse's rights include a requirement from the management to provide her with everything necessary for her work, including protective equipment (disposable gloves, masks, goggles, etc.). In the absence of the necessary consumables, the physician may refuse to perform his duties, especially if he works with patients suffering from infectious diseases.

Requirements for a nurse

Now you know what the specialist is a nurse, what she does and where she can work. The requirements for a nurse are as follows:

availability of a specialist diploma;
availability of a certificate confirming qualifications (for work in operating rooms, in an ambulance, etc.). Such certificates are obtained by completing additional courses;
absence of certain diseases (hepatitis, HIV infection, mental disorders, tuberculosis);
the presence of psychological qualities necessary to work in a medical institution.

Now you know, nurse, what this is and what she does. Being a doctor is not easy, but the feeling that you managed to help a person and save his life more than compensates for all the difficulties.

When a person first goes to the hospital, he wants to see a good doctor. But already during the second visit, he is more concerned with the question of the qualifications of a nurse, whose professionalism largely determines both the "comfort" of medical procedures and the general emotional state of the patient. That is why representatives of the profession of a nurse are considered the second most important person after a doctor, not only formally, but also in fact.

When a person goes to the hospital for the first time, regardless of whether he needs to undergo a routine medical examination or the reason for visiting is failing health, he wants to see a good doctor. But already during the second visit, he is more concerned with the question of the qualifications of a nurse, whose professionalism largely determines both the "comfort" of medical procedures and the general emotional state of the patient. That is why the representatives profession nurse are considered the second most important person after the doctor, not only formally, but also in fact.

Quite naturally, the requirements for nurses are no less, and in some cases even more stringent, than for certified doctors. After all, the doctor only examines the patient, and, if necessary, prescribes treatment for him, and the nurse is directly involved in the treatment and implementation of medical procedures. Accordingly, there is nothing strange in the fact that only people with certain personal qualities can become good nurses, with a list of which, as well as with all the features of this profession, we invite you to familiarize yourself.

Who is a nurse?

A representative of junior or paramedical personnel who occupies the niche of a junior specialist in the hierarchy of medical workers (as evidenced by the corresponding entry in the nursing diploma). This is a doctor's assistant who follows the doctor's instructions and carries out the nursing process.

This profession is a logical continuation of charitable societies, consisting of the so-called sisters of mercy, who saw the main task of their activities as selfless help to all the weak and suffering. The first professional nurse is considered to be Florence Nightingel, who, during the Crimean campaign, organized a detachment of nuns and nurses, whose members helped doctors take care of wounded soldiers in field hospitals. By the way, the world professional holiday of nurses is celebrated on May 12 - the birthday of this brave woman.

It should be noted that if the first nurses, as a rule, did not have a medical education, then for modern medical workers this is a prerequisite for admission to work. An exception can only be those employees of medical institutions who are not directly related to the implementation of medical practice (that is, nurses, nannies, housewives, etc.).

The professional duties of modern nurses directly depend on the type of their activity. So, a nurse in a treatment room sterilizes instruments, performs procedures prescribed by the attending physician (for example, gives an injection or puts a dropper), collects biological material for analyzes, etc. The operating nurse assists the surgeon during surgical interventions (including preparing the surgical instrument, dressing and suture material, etc.), and the local nurse helps the local doctor to receive patients, maintains a patient record, takes part in preventive measures and performs medical procedures according to the doctor's prescription at home.

What personal qualities should a nurse have?

Nursing job involves communication with different people. And the effectiveness of her professional activity largely depends on how much the nurse will be able to find a "common language" with the patient. Therefore, it is impossible to imagine a nurse who does not have such personal qualities as:

politeness;
tact;
responsiveness;
sociability;
stress resistance;
a tendency to empathize;
a responsibility;
dedication;
accuracy;
personal organization;
tolerance.

Besides, a good nurse should be a bit of a psychologist. After all, it is possible to treat patients not only with medicines, but also with correctly chosen words that instill in the patient confidence in himself and his strength. And of course, a nurse should be able to provide first aid, know the peculiarities of taking medications and love her job so much that she does not think about her own comfort and convenience.

Benefits of the Nursing Profession

The main the advantage of the nursing profession, like any other medical specialty, lies in the constantly increasing demand for qualified specialists in the modern labor market. Despite the fact that every year a huge number (about 100 thousand people) of well-trained specialists of secondary and junior medical personnel leave the walls of educational institutions in Russia, the shortage of nurses is acutely felt in almost all medical institutions of the country.

Another advantage of this profession is the large "geography" of employment. Firstly, a nurse can get a job not only in a hospital, clinic or medical and sanatorium institution, but also in a kindergarten, school, large enterprise or a recreation center (by the way, nurses with an attractive appearance and knowledge of a foreign language are in great demand in airlines for flight attendant position). And secondly, a nursing diploma will allow a specialist to find a job in his specialty in any country in the world, and for this it will not be necessary at all to undergo expensive training.

And most importantly, the knowledge and skills gained both in the educational institution and at work allow nurses to quickly respond to the slightest changes in the health status of their relatives and friends, and thereby prevent the development of dangerous diseases.

Disadvantages of the Nursing Profession

It is not difficult to guess that the main lack of a nursing profession is low wages. According to statistics, the average salary of a nurse in Russia is about 20 thousand rubles. Compared to the rather difficult working conditions, the nurse's salary seems especially low:

irregular work schedule - nurses have to work both on weekends / holidays and on night shifts;
emotional and psychological stress - often asocial personalities (drug addicts and alcoholics) become patients of medical institutions, who do not differ in balance and stability of the psyche. And ordinary patients at the time of exacerbation of the disease may not behave quite adequately;
professional risks - nurses, like doctors, often come into contact with people suffering from deadly diseases, so there is always a risk of contracting a dangerous disease.

Well, if we take into account that the lives of people depend on the concentration and professionalism of the nurse (imagine what could happen if a nurse confuses the tests or the doctor's prescription), and this is a huge responsibility both to his own conscience and to the public, then it becomes clear that only a person who really loves this profession can become a nurse.

If you are ambitious and think that you can help sick people not only in the treatment or manipulation rooms, but also at the post, for example, the head nurse, who is responsible for the competent organization of the work of all junior and paramedical personnel in a medical institution, then you have a direct road to the faculty of higher nursing education at a medical university.

Well, to make it easier for you to decide on the choice of the place of study, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the TOP-5 the best medical educational institutions in Russia, on the basis of which nurses are trained:

Saint Petersburg State Medical University named after I.I. I.P. Pavlova;
First Moscow State Medical University. THEM. Sechenov;
Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Professor V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky;
Miass Medical College;
Sverdlovsk Regional Medical College.

Nurse (nurse) (nurse) - a person with secondary medical education who works under the guidance of a doctor or paramedic. She does not examine the patient, diagnose, prescribe treatment. A nurse, unlike a paramedic, is not an independent person and fulfills the assignments already made.

Nursing is a sought-after profession in the field of medicine.

Functional responsibilities:

Nursing;

Monitoring the patient's condition;

Performing medical procedures prescribed by a doctor;

Registration and discharge of patients;

Monitoring the nutrition and sanitary condition of patients;

Assisting a doctor at an appointment;
- control over the sanitary and hygienic condition in the department and the ward;

Control, accounting and storage of medicines;

Providing qualified assistance in caring for newborns;

Providing timely medical assistance in emergency situations;

Provision of feasible psychological assistance and support to patients;

Implementation of rehabilitation and preventive measures;

Conducting sanitary and educational work among the population;

Implementation of propaganda aimed at combating drugs, alcoholism, smoking;

Registration of medical records.

The range of functional duties of a nurse depends on the place of her work. A nurse is engaged in providing medical assistance to a patient, performing various medical procedures, diagnosing diseases, acting as a doctor's assistant in operations, caring for patients, monitoring the health of patients, and doing massage.

Personal qualities:

Patience and restraint;

Goodwill and friendliness;

A responsibility;

Accuracy;

Tact;

Sensitivity;

Attentiveness;

Conscientiousness.

Qualification Requirements:

A nurse must have a secondary vocational education, understand various medicines, disinfection methods, know the rules for performing vaccinations, injections, dressings, massage techniques, and first aid techniques. A nurse should have such qualities as responsibility, attentiveness, compassion, communication skills, observation, composure, love for people.

Places of work:

Medical institutions (hospitals, sanatoriums, health camps and clinics, maternity hospitals and dispensaries, rehabilitation centers, trauma centers, antenatal clinics and medical units, health centers, outpatient clinics and paramedic obstetric stations);

Social organizations (orphanages, shelters, colonies, homes for the elderly and disabled, orphanages);

Work in law enforcement agencies (children's reception centers);

Educational institutions (schools, kindergartens and preschool institutions, institutes, colleges, technical schools, colleges);

Work in the Ministry of Emergency Situations, rescue services;

Work at enterprises;

Research institutes;

Military organizations.

A nurse can work in polyclinics, hospitals, dispensaries, medical centers, educational institutions, social services, medical institutions, sanatoriums.

The salary level largely depends on the medical institution, on what resources it possesses.

Have you ever wondered why women in this profession are called sisters? And this word stuck for the reason that the first nurses appeared thanks to the church. So in this case “sister” is not a related, but a spiritual concept. There was a time when they were not called nurses, but sisters of mercy. And it was right. During the Crimean campaign, kind-hearted women looked after the wounded, tried to be relatives to them, and not only nurture the soldiers, but also morally support them. Sacrificial and noble, the profession of a nurse still presupposes compassion and mercy towards the sick.

If you want to get a profession that is always and everywhere in demand, study to be a nurse. Any doctor needs a competent assistant who understands diseases and can even suggest treatment tactics.
Can you imagine at least one polyclinic or hospital without nurses, on whom the order in the department or in the office depends, as well as the strict fulfillment of all doctor's prescriptions and practically everything that a medical institution lives on? That's right: it's impossible. In addition, any sick person experiences relief not only from the procedures, but also from simple attention and kind words. And this is always about the nurses. How can we do without them?
You yourself probably noticed that patients have much more to deal with nurses than with doctors. Therefore, women who have devoted themselves to this profession are distinguished by their special resistance to stress, the ability to maintain good relations, and the ability to calm down a sick person.

First of all - about the workplace of nurses. These are operating rooms, treatment rooms, dental and other specialized clinics, doctor's offices in polyclinics and inpatient departments of hospitals.
Now pay attention to how wide the range of responsibilities of a nurse is.

She writes out prescriptions, referrals and certificates - in this way, she follows the instructions of the doctor.
Makes injections, vaccinations, infusions, measures temperature and pressure.
Knows the names, doses and forms of release of drugs prescribed by the doctor.
Assists surgeons during surgery, changes dressings, prepares the necessary surgical instruments.
While patients are within the walls of the hospital, the nurse must monitor their mental health, personal hygiene and nutrition.
She must master the basics of first aid.
Its functions include the skillful use of special equipment.

This is not a complete list of duties of a paramedical worker.
You will be a good nurse if you have the best human qualities. You know how to sympathize with people, you are sociable, observant, balanced, hardy. You are attentive and caring towards a weak and sick person. You have a sense of responsibility.
A nurse is an important figure in any hospital. Often it depends on her work how high the qualifications of a hospital or clinic are.
And most importantly, work should bring you joy. Probably, only such women become wonderful nurses, merciful and skillful.

Where can you get the nursing profession?

Of course, you know that with such an abundance of responsibilities, professional education is essential. You can get it at a specialized medical college (school).
But if after a while after graduating from this educational institution you feel that you are capable of more, you have the opportunity to satisfy your ambitions. In some medical schools, nurses can pursue higher education. It all depends on your dedication. If you can fulfill this maxi program, you will get the opportunity to work in a large clinic as a nursing service organizer, head or head nurse, head of the nursing department, teach at a medical school.

Can a nurse make a career? Well, you can hardly count on dizzying career growth, but there are some options.
A nurse has several career options. For example, working in one position, improve their qualifications. This is rewarded with a pay rise.
If the administration appreciates your experience, your ability to get along with people, you can get the position of a senior nurse of a department or even an entire medical institution.
Well, and, finally, continued education at the medical institute. With a college degree, you will become either a doctor or a qualified nursing specialist.

The pros and cons of such work

If you don't love the profession, nothing will work out. Even if you are very attracted to the profession of a nurse, and you feel a vocation and a willingness to give all your strength to your favorite work, weigh all the pros and cons. "

Choosing this profession, you must be prepared for some difficulties. And above all to the fact that you have to devote yourself entirely to work. No matter what happens in your family, no matter how hard it is after the night shift, you are required to be in a good mood and willing to support the patient with a smile.
Any medical appointment is a law for you. You must know everything that happens in the department or doctor's office. Any conflict situation with patients is your fault. You should have foreseen it and not allowed it. That is, a nurse is a universal specialist: a physician, a psychologist, and an organizer.
The nurse should always be neat and collected. After all, you must admit that a nurse is also a living person, but she is not allowed to mix up appointments, diagnoses, analyzes, medications. Sometimes the health and even the life of a person depends on this.
Not every woman will be satisfied with a nurse's work schedule. Think also to you: will you be able to withstand the intense night shifts, the atmosphere of constant emergency work? This is fraught with physical and emotional stress.
The nurse, like all healthcare professionals, is at risk. Providing help to a patient, she can catch a dangerous disease.

This entire list of "cons" of the nursing profession is not given in order to scare you or turn you away from your chosen profession. Maybe you dreamed about her since childhood. But, entering a medical school, you should be guided not only by romantic ideas, but also by the real state of affairs.
You know, they say that an unloved profession is akin to an unloved husband. Think about it, really weigh your options, so that disappointment does not ruin your life and harm your patients.

How is a nurse paid?

Unfortunately, not very good. In different regions, employers offer different salaries to nurses. It looks something like this:

RUB 28,000 - the average salary of a nurse in Moscow;
RUB 20,000 - in St. Petersburg;
RUB 15,000 - in Novosibirsk;
RUB 17,000 - In Ekaterinburg;
RUB 14,000 - In Nizhniy Novgorod.

Do you remember the famous saying about what happiness is? This is when you happily go to work in the morning and return home in the evening with the same joy. If you nevertheless come to the profession of a nurse, may you have just such a fate.

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