Nurses are expected to perform a variety of roles in health care institutions whenever care are provided to the clients. They maybe carried out simultaneously depending on the need of the client in a particular situation and case.
a. Caregiver
As a caregiver, nurses are expected to assist the client’s physical, psychological, developmental, cultural and spiritual needs. It involves a full care to a completely dependent client, partial care for the partially dependent client and supportive-educative care, in order to attain the highest possible level of health and wellness.
b. Communicator
Communication is very important in nursing roles. It is vital to establish nurse-client relationship. Nurses who communicate effectively gets better information about the client’s problem either from the client itself or from his family. With better information nurses will be able to identify and implement better interventions and or nursing care that promotes fast recovery, health and wellness.
c. Teacher
Being a teacher is an important role for a nurse. It is her duty to give health education to the clients, families and community. However, the nurse must be able to assess the knowledge level, learning needs and readiness of the clients, families and community to give appropriate and necessary health care education e.g. diseases, health, wellness, nursing care procedure, etc. they need to do to restore and maintain their health.
d. Client Advocate
A nurse may act as an advocator. An advocator is the one who expresses and defends the cause of another or acts as representative. Some people who are ill maybe too weak to do on his own and or even to know his rights to health care. In this instance, the nurse may convey is client’s wish like change of physician, change of food, upgrade his room or even to refuse a particular type of treatment.
e. Counselor
A nurse may act as a Counselor. She provides emotional. Intellectual and psychological support. She helps a client to recognize with stressful psychological or social problems, to develop and improved interpersonal relationship and to promote personal growth.
f. Change Agent
As a change agent, oftentimes a nurse change or modify nursing care plan based on her assessment on the client’s health condition. This change and modification will only happen when the intervention/s does not help and improve a client’s health e.g. caring of the pressure ulcer, change in medication, change of food, etc.
g. Leader
Nurse often assumes the role of leader. Not all nurses have the ability and capacity to become a leader. It takes confidence, initiative and ability to innovate change, motivate, facilitate and mentor others. As a leader it allows you to participate in and guide teams that assess the effectiveness of care, implement-based practices, and construct process improvement strategies. You may hold a variety of positions like shift team leader, chairperson of a professional organization, ward in-charge, board of directors, sister, matron, etc.
h. Manager
As a Manager, a nurse has the authority, power, and responsibility for planning, organizing, coordinating and directing work of others. She is responsible for setting goals, make decisions, and solve problems that the organization may encounter. It is also her responsibility to supervise and evaluate the performance of her subordinates. The manager always ensure that nursing care for individuals, families and communities are meet.
i. Case Manager
In some hospitals, a case manager is a primary nurse who provide direct care to the client or family. For example a case manager for diabetic client. She has the responsibility to give health education, measure the effectiveness of the nursing care plan and monitor the outcomes of intervention whether effective or not.
j. Research Consumer
Nurses often do research to improve nursing care, define and expand nursing knowledge.
