Background & Scope
Nurses may provide direct patient care to patients. They perform physical examinations, health assessments, and administer treatments. They also educate patients and families regarding medical diagnoses and treatments. Most nurses work in hospitals (e.g., operating rooms, medical floors, ICUs, emergency departments, etc.), clinics, home care settings, or schools.
State boards of nursing control many aspects of their care; federal statutes control some others. These standards include clinical judgment, communication, recordkeeping, collaboration with other medical professionals, professional responsibility, safety and quality of care, and patient advocacy.
Nurses care is founded on a combination of medical knowledge and compassionate understanding of the patient’s needs.
Qualifications, Training, and Certifications
In order to become a nurse, a person must meet certain qualifications and training requirements and obtain certain certifications.
The qualifications for nursing vary, depending on the type of nursing. Generally, nurses must be licensed in their state and hold at least an associate's degree in nursing. Some states require a bachelor's degree in nursing. In addition, nurses must complete specialized continuing training programs to maintain their licensure.
Nursing students learn about anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, pharmacology, patient examination and assessment, patient care, nutrition, communication skills, and professional ethics. Nurses also must complete clinical training which involves working under supervision in a clinical setting.
Examples of certifications include Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), and Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN).
Conditions, Diseases, Treatments, and Procedures
Nurses are responsible for performing a variety of diagnostic tests and procedures such as monitoring vital signs, performing physical examinations, and collecting specimens. They also must communicate patient related information to physicians and implement the physician’s plans.
Nurses treat patients with nearly every medical condition—infections, broken bones, brain tumors, pregnancy, respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, cancer, mental health disorders, and trauma.
Nurses are also responsible for performing certain basic medical procedures such as wound care, dressing changes, wound care, medication administration, injections, immunizations, catheterizations, IV fluids administration, blood transfusions, nasogastric tube or central line insertions, and providing end-of-life care.
Nurses may also provide preventative care like health education for nutrition and exercise. Nurses also may triage patients for other healthcare professionals.
Related Medical Specialties
Nursing is related to almost every medical specialty, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and more.
Medical-Legal Cases Involving Nursing
Nursing medical-legal cases typically involve allegations of malpractice. They tend to involve whether a diagnosis or complaint was missed, fall risk prevention or bedsore preventions were correctly set and adhered to, information was correctly communicated to a physician, or a physician’s orders were correctly implemented.