Nurses have a range of roles and responsibilities in order to provide society with the highest quality of care (Peate, 2016). The Royal College of Nursing (RCN, 2014:3) define nursing as the ability to ‘improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best quality of life’ for patients until their death. This essay will critically analyse the nurses’ role and responsibilities within care provision, discussing their role as a primary caregiver, a leader, advocate, educator, collaborator, practitioner, in addition to their responsibilities in line with professional codes of practice (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2015).
The nurse has a role as a primary caregiver, adhering to succinct evidence-based practice in order to meet the holistic needs of every patient and their families through the use of clinical judgement and expertise (RCN, 2017). They show compassion and knowledge in order to provide direct care to patients within each setting or different environments (Masters, 2015). Illness prevention and the promotion of public health initiatives are also vital roles in nursing care (Joel, 2017). However, political and societal issues place strain on the nursing workforce, hindering their ability to adhere to their roles which can negatively impact on the provision of high quality care (Ryan, 2018). For instance, with the introduction of an English test by the Nursing and Midwifery Council following Brexit, the number of EU nurses has reduced by 89% (Tapper, 2017). Furthermore, the government has removed the nursing bursary, which in turn has led to a reduction in the number of nursing students, thus leading to nurse shortages (Adams, 2017). Many nurses have stressed that they find it difficult to carry out their roles and responsibilities as a healthcare professional (Tapper, 2017).
Nurses must act as leaders, coordinating care as members of multidisciplinary care teams, contributing to a collaboration of care (Crowell, 2015). This involves physical and psychosocial assessment, provision of education, support and diagnostic testing to navigate patients through appropriate care pathways (Crowell, 2015). The nurse coordinator is a key resource for patients and families who are an integral point of contact during their care (Weberg et al, 2018). Nurse leaders need to continually contribute to the development of other healthcare professionals, ensuring that they are educated and equipped with evidence-based knowledge in order to provide high quality care (Weberg et al, 2018). Different leadership styles can be utilised to carry out this role, primarily the use of a transformational style. A transformational style encourages and motivates other staff members to improve the provision of care, without dictating information (Marshall, 2016). However, a more transactional leadership style is necessary in time-sensitive, critical situations (Stanley, 2016). These aspects are considered within the role of nurse leaders.
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Nurses also act as advocates and educators, ensuring appropriate information is relayed to patients, enabling informed decisions which are fundamental to maintain patients’ autonomy (Scott, 2017). This includes developing therapeutic relationships to support and empower patients (Stein-Parbury, 2017). The nurse must provide holistic care in order to meet unmet needs through professional intervention (Weberg et al, 2018). This is especially important if a patient lacks the capacity to make informed decisions and so the nurse is responsible for adhering to health legislation (McEwen and Wills, 2017). The Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides the framework in order to protect a patient who cannot make an informed decision. Nurses should carry out an assessment in order to evaluate levels of capacity, in an appropriate manner in which the patient can understand. If the patient is found to lack capacity, the least restrictive option should be chosen in order to provide care in their best interests (McEwen and Wills, 2017). Nurses must also be aware that capacity can change at any moment and so succinct clinical judgement is key in order to provide high quality and ethical care (Stanley, 2016).
Another important role of the nurse is as an educator, to patients, families, society, other healthcare professionals and students (Bastable, 2017). Within a hospital environment, they provide knowledge about illness and teach patients how to self-manage their conditions (Bastable, 2017). Emphasis and facilitation of self-care are vital components of nursing, especially as approximately 15 million individuals within England have one or more l
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