DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF

NURSING PERSONNELDeblina Roy M.Sc. Nursing 2nd yearK.G.M.U. Institute of Nurisng

INTRODUCTION • Transition • Childhood • Adulthood • Working and earning • “new job brings many new responsibilities”

•Job description:• A job description is the statement of the basic purpose of

the job, the significant tasks to be carried out , the extent of authority vested in the post ,and the upward downward and horizontal relationships necessary for the performance of the job.

Classification of the nursing personnel

• Nursing personnel are among the largest no of health care professionals working in the various fields of health care they work from the lowest level of care to the highest level.

• They work in the varied settings namely • Hospital /Clinical areas• Community area• Educational settings • Holistic setting.

The nurses working in the clinical settings• The topmost nursing officers are Nursing directors • Synonymous ( Nursing Superintendent/ principal Matron/

Matron in chief).• Giving general supervision, delegation, coordinating

interdepartmental functions , collaboration with the hospital administration and the staff nurses

NURSING DIRECTOR • Roles and responsibilities :• Formation of the aims and the objectives policies of the

new nursing services • Staffing based on the nursing requirement according to the

accepted standards of the medical standards• Planning and directing the nursing care • Coordinating the interdepartmental activities • Maintaining the supplies and the equipment• Budgeting • Keeping records and reports.

CHIEF NURSING OFFICER• Chief officer for all the staff nurses in hospital. She

does planning, coordination, supervision, controlling, reporting to higher medical officer & delegating the work schedules to other nurses.

• Follows & adapts PCS, which helps to recruit, assign & allocate the required staff at the right place & time.

• Explains the job description, supervision and delegating responsibilities to each staff nurse.

• Report to CEO, conducts round in the hospital regularly to check

out functioning, cleanliness of the hospital.

• Takes attendance, plan & implement the duty roster for the staff

nurses.

• Recruits the staff needed, coordinates work with the entire

department.

• Conducts in-service education, encourages continuing

education.

• Conducts nursing audit, does anecdotal reporting to

evaluate nursing care.

• Make all staff observe & follow code of ethics & regulation of

the hospitals.

• Has authority to terminate any nurse if she misbehaves or

violates hospital regulations.

• Encourages and participates in all round development of

nurses, especially in nursing research activities.

HEAD NURSE• To plan the duty roster specific to the ward, implement PCS &

allocate ward in charge to specific wards.

• To control and coordinate the activities of the specific wards.

• To plan all the activities done by ward in charge in advance,

delegate responsibilities & supervise the activities in the wards.

• To supervise the nursing care being rendered for all patients & to

take frequent status updates.

• To conduct nursing rounds with ward in charges to

assess the problem, plan care, clarify issues, fulfill the

requirements and guide the ward in charge.

• To maintain the enrolment register of all the staff and

ward in charge, and ensure that all the staff reported

duty in time.

• To allocate the alternative staff in case of absenteeism.

• To conduct meeting with the subordinate staff, and

provide guidance, and teaching to improve her nursing

care.

WARD INCHARGE• Report to the head nurse for any issue.• Plan control & supervise the activity of the

subordinates & also ensure that the staff are allocated at required areas & provide good care to the patients.

• Ensure ward cleanliness, safety and security for all the patients in the ward.

• Oversee the patients’ conditions regularly and to care for the concerns of doctors who take care of the patients.

• Conduct ward rounds with staff nurse & plan her daily activities accordingly.

• Coordinate the shift schedule, day/night off in the coordination with the head nurse.

• Meet the health care needs of all patients in the ward.

SENIOR STAFF NURSE• Senior nurses work under the ward in-

charge. They have to report to the duty in time and sign in the register.

• They provide individual care to patients who are seriously ill & are assisted by the junior nurses.

• They report the patient care to ward in-charge regularly.

• They write & record the patient details on the nurse’s record.

• They maintain the patient care sheet, which has patient identification data, doctor sheet, diagnostic sheet, etc.

• They oversee the work of sweepers and attendants, and coordinate and help the student nurse to learn and practice the nursing care.

• They keep the units neat & tidy, check linen, drugs and other supplies required in the ward.

• They identify & order the needed supplies with approval from ward in charge.

• They allocate duties to the junior and student nurses.

Graduate nurse/ staff Nurse • The Nurse directly provides patient care • Learns the policies of the hospital and ward ,and works

according to the standards of care • Provides health education and direct skilled work • She works under the supervision of the senior nurse and

holds authority over the Nursing Assistants and the Aids.

Nurses working in the community areas

• The nurses working in the community level are also a large part of the health care delivery system.

• They work at various levels and provide care to various levels.

• They can be broadly classified as • Female health worker • Community health nurse

Community health nurse • There are various community health nurse levels in

various states of India • Generally they can be classified as :• DPHNO : District public health nursing Officer • BPHN: Block Public health Nurse • PHN : Public health nurse/ Lady Health Visitor • ANM: Axillary Nurse midwife / Female Health Workers

ANM: Axillary Nurse midwife / Female Health Workers • Roles and responsibilities :• Registers and cares for the pre-natal and post natal

mothers at home. • Registers and follows up all the eligible couples • Provides nutritional advice and immunization to mother

and children.• Carries out family planning services and including the

distribution of the contraceptives • Provides treatment to minor ailments • Notifies communicable diseases • Maintains the records and registers all the services

provided and vital events like birth and death.

• Participates in the various disease control programmes.• Conducts surveys of all sub-center areas and maintains records

about every family.• Coordinates activities with the block level• Functions in the field of administration and supervision,

education training personnel, health services and research.

Community health nurse • Qualified community health nurse is one who has

undergone general training , and basic education in the community health nursing

• She must have a B.Sc. Nursing with a registration to work as a community health nurse

Roles of community

health nurse

Health education

Individual practitioner

Decision maker

Programme director

Planner

Researcher

Supervisor

Evaluator

Advocate

Direct care provider

NURSING PERSONNEL IN NURSING EDUCATION

Director of nursing education• Educational Qualifications:• General: As prescribed for staff nurse • Professional: M.Sc. or equivalent degree from any INC

recognized institute• Registration: registered with state nursing council.• Experience: at least 10 years of experience among which 5

years should be in administration and education.

Roles and responsibilities • She functions as the head of nursing services under the

directorate of health and family welfare and Director of Medical Education. He/ She should be responsible for all activities concerned activities concerned and improvements in the nursing services.

• She is mainly responsible for:• leave • Transfer of nursing personnel, transfer of student nurses

with consultation with the nursing superintendent .• Promotions and postings• Review of confidential reports • Correspondence with the government and non government

organizations

• Educational programmes• Proposals to Government• Inspections• Representation the interest of the nurses to various health

committees.• Participation in health care planning• Sending the nurses on deputation for Post basic and M.Sc. Nursing

courses.• Sanction pre audit bills • Granting permission for workshops • NOCs• Administrative work pertaining to nursing personnel.

Principal, College of Nursing • General : As prescribed for staff nurse • Professional: M.Sc. Nursing or equivalent degree, PHD in

nursing or other equivalent doctoral degree.• Registration: Registered to any state nursing council.• Experience :not less than 5 years teaching experience in a

college of nursing.

Role and functions of Principal • Administrative head• Implementation and revision of various curricular activities

and research activities in the College of Nursing.

Roles and responsibilities of principal

Administration

Organizational

Staff development and

welfare

Coordination

Supervision

Instruction

Guidance

• Administration:• Planning • Developing the philosophy and the objectives of the educational

institution• Identifying present needs related to educational programmes • Investigating , evaluating and securing resources • Formulating the plan of action• Selecting and organizing learning experience.

• Organizational:• Determining the number of

positions • jobs to be done based on the

needs of the educational programme• job description, indicating the

line of authority, delineating the responsibilities and the channels of communication.• Delegating authority

commensuration with responsibility . • plan of work load.• organizational framework.

• Staff development and welfare activities • Recommending promotions.• Directing activities of staff working

under him or her .• Guiding and encouraging• Consistently making administrative

decisions base don established policies and conventions • orientation • opportunities for the staff

development programmes and encouraging their contribution.• Promoting staff participation in

research.

• Coordination:• cooperation .• Coordinating the • regular meetings , time schedules and effective communication.• Interpreting the nursing education to other related disciplines and

to the general public.• Supervisory role:• ensuring the continuous follow up and revision of the educational

programmes.• maintaining the comprehensive system of records • Maintaining recognition by various accrediting bodies like INC,

University, State nursing council.• Preparing and securing the budget.• Preparing the periodic reports and issues of the ongoing

programme.• Presenting plans for continuous development

• Instruction: • Planning to participate in the further staff developmental

programmes.• Participating as teacher in the educational programme.• Recognizing the needs for continuing education for self and staff

providing the stimulation of such opportunities for such development .

• Guidance:• Providing and maintain a programme for the recruitment ,

selection, and promotion of students.• Providing fro systematic guidance programmes, for staff

members for staff members and students.• Encouraging studies, research and writing for publication.

Professor, College of Nursing• Educational Qualification:• General: as prescribed or staff nurse • Professional: M.Sc. Nursing or

equivalent degree in nursing as recognized by the INC. PhD in Nursing with any specialty or other equivalent doctoral degree in nursing.

• Registration: Registered with the state nursing council or INC.

• Experience: should have not less than 5 year experience in college of nursing

•Role and functions:• He/she works under the departmental heads and assists him/her in

the guidance of the students.• Instructions:• Identifies the needs of the learners in terms of the programme by

utilizing the records of the previous experience , personal interviews tests and observation.

• Assists the learners in the identification of their needs • Participate in the formulation and implementation of the philosophies

and objectives of the posting.• Selects and organizes the learning experiences.

• Participates in the evaluation of the curriculum.• Plans along with the educational unit with nursing services an

allied groups.• Ascertains , selects and organizes facilities, equipment and

materials necessary for learning

• Assists the learners in the problem solving process.• Measures and describes the quality of

performance objectively.• Maintains and uses adequate and accurate

records.• Prepares clear and concise reports.• Shares information with the learners need

and achievements with others concerned.• Measures effectiveness of instruction by use

of appropriate devices.• Increases knowledge and skill in his/her own

curriculum• Devices teaching methods appropriate to

objectives and content.

• Guidance and counseling:• Gives guidance within own field of competence.• Help the learner to grow in self understanding• Research :• Assists in initiating and participating in studies for the

improvement of the educational programmes• Identifies the problems in which research is potentially

indicated.• Makes data available regarding the learners , the methods of

teaching and evaluation.• Continues to develop competence in the problem solving

process.• Utilizes findings of research.

Nursing tutors/ Clinical Instructors

• Educational qualification:• General: as prescribed for staff nurse • Professional: B.Sc. Nursing (postgraduate)or M.Sc. Nursing

or equivalent.• Registration: registered with the state nursing council• Experience: as experienced as staff nurse .• Standard norms: As per INC guidelines• Role and functions:• He/ she is a teacher in the nursing school or college,

accountable to the principal or vice principal.• He/she is responsible for the planning and the

implementation of the teaching programmes, and assisting in the general administration.

• Academic function: • Planning of the teaching curriculum• Overall supervision of clinical teaching

programmes of those subjects which come under the hospital and the community health setting• Maintains the class room equipment

supplies and the teaching aids• Conducts tests and evaluates the

student performances • Prepares teaching material and

implements them under guidance of other teachers • Helps students with their extra

curricular activities

• Administration and evaluation:• Assisting in the administration of the school of

nursing• Supervising the students health welfare and

security• Assisting in the selection of students in the

overall administration.• Assisting in the examinations and tests • Supervising living conditions in the hostel.• Assisting teaching and other categories of

personnel in the hospital or community.• Assisting in the procurement of the school

supplies and the equipment• Assisting in the library work• Assisting in maintaining the school records and

registers • Planning implementing and evaluating .

Nurse Managers

•Responsibilities:• Development of the philosophy of nursing, statement of the

purposes of the nursing services and description of the nursing functions

• Setting goals and objectives of the nursing services • Setting standards for residential care, involving the residents

whenever possible.• Development and implementation of the nursing services , policies

and procedures • Budgeting in accordance with the policies and the procedures of

the facility.• Developing the human resource plan for the services with due

consideration given to the appropriate mix of the professional and the support staff to meet the needs of the resident population.

• Selection , procurement, promotion ,transfer or termination of nursing staff according to the facility policies and procedures.

• Ensuring that all the nursing staff receives written performance appraisals.

• Reviewing and approving description of positions • Conducting or guiding the programme to monitor,

evaluate and improve the quality of nursing services.

• Ensuring the competency of the staff for specific nursing skills

• Supporting and promoting the orientation of staff development and the continuing education of nursing staff.

• Staff development , orientation ad continuing nursing education.

• Providing channels for formal liaison between clinical and non clinical services.

• Ensuring the representation of the staff on committees that affect the services.

• Delegating clinical and managerial responsibilities to appropriately qualified staff.

• Coordinating nursing services with the other facility services

• Participation in the decision making in the senior management level.

• Providing support for education and research.

Role of nurse

manager

interpersonal

Informational

negotiating

Decisional

Interpersonal role :• As a figurehead :Deals largely with economic and symbolic

activities. Conducts tours for visiting dignitaries and attends grand opening ceremonies

• As a leader: involved in those leadership and motivational activities that are essential for the management of the people .

• As a liaison: includes the activities by which the administrator develops and maintains a network of contacts outside the organization, specific activities include the membership of the professional organization ad mail correspondence.

Informational role • This deals with searching and collecting the information

that is of value to the organization. The nurse manager uses his/her role to identify the information from within and outside the organization.

• Disseminating : this role entails the transmission of the relevant information for those in the work place that have the need to know.

Decisional role • Entrepreneur: this is the process by which the nurse

manager seeks to identify the opportunities to promote improvement and needed change. Here the nurse administrator is also involved in the in the development and the implementation of the change strategy .

• Disturbance handler: takes corrective action needed to resolve the unexpected disturbances. In this role the nurse manager must handle the utility services and disaster conditions and strikes.

• resource allocator: this role entails the allocation of the scarce resources; specific activities might include developing and monitoring the budgets , oredicting the future resource needs and forecasting future resource problems.

Negotiating role:• This requires the nurse manager to negotiate the

resolutions to important disputes , both inside and outside the organization.

Summary

Discussion

Conclusion • Nursing personnel composed of various professional

nurses , practitioner nurses, they are the largest single body of personnel in the hospital. Nursing care refers to care provided to the people with special regards to nursing. Where as nursing services refers to coordinating responsibilities of the nurse , who in addition to giving the nursing care also works with the members of the allied disciplines like dietetics, medicine and social service.

Bibiography:

• Nursing services , a report on a WHO

symposioum.Copenhagen, 1978.• TNAI. Nursing services administration and management,1st

ed,TNAI,New Delhi, 2000 Pp-135-67• I Clement. Management of nursing services and

Education.1st ed. Elsvier publication; NweDelhi, 2011:Pp-247-50

• Basavanthapa BT.Nursing administration.3rd ed. Jaypee brothers;New Delhi;2014:Pp-350.

• Yoderwise, Ptrecia S. Leading and managing in nursing .3rd ed. Mosbey st Louis,2003,p.233.