A day in the life of a nurse can look a little different from one nursing specialty and healthcare setting to the next. Some typical nurse responsibilities include taking vital signs, documenting patient information in electronic health records, handling case management, and delivering patient and family caregiver education.
When you are a nurse, no two days look the same. Typical nurse tasks and duties also vary across nursing specialties. For instance, a hospice nurse will have different responsibilities than a school nurse. While there is considerable variety in this field, there are some common responsibilities that you can review to get a general understanding of what a day in the life of a nurse might look like.
“Nursing requires adaptability and flexibility. Every day, every shift is different. Patient situations change daily, and the nurse must be able to adapt to those changes swiftly and respond.” – Dr. Claudine Dufrene, Executive Dean
If you’re thinking of switching to a career in nursing, you can prepare by earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The University of St. Thomas Houston’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program can allow you to use your prior non-nursing college education to earn a BSN in as few as 12 months after completing any needed prerequisites.
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Before deciding to switch to a nursing career, take a closer look at the answer to the common question, “What do registered nurses do?” Then explore typical nurse responsibilities and envision yourself in this role to determine whether it could be the right career choice for you.
What Do Registered Nurses Do?
Registered nurses provide a robust scope of care to patients, working with them from initial assessment to treatment to follow-up. RNs administer medications and other treatments, coordinate care with other providers, deliver patient and family caregiver education, and provide emotional support. In some cases, nurses need to make quick decisions and perform rapid interventions to save a patient’s life.
Typical nurse tasks and duties can vary from one specialty and setting to the next. In the emergency room, for instance, an RN will triage patients to assess the severity of their condition and determine who needs to be seen first. In a pediatric hospital, an RN focuses on building rapport with young patients and comforting them while performing tasks like blood draws. Meanwhile, nurses in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) monitor post-surgical patients as they recover from the anesthesia.
A Typical Day in the Life of a Nurse
Each day as a nurse can look different. As an RN, you’ll constantly see new patients with unique histories and various reasons for needing care. You’ll work with people of all ages with varying personalities from different backgrounds.
As a nurse, you must be ready for anything and prepared to face every situation with a calm, reassuring demeanor. You’ll need to be organized, detail-oriented, and committed to upholding professional ethics. The ABSN program at UST will provide all the preparation you need to get started as a nurse.
Common Responsibilities for RNs
While every day in the life of a nurse can be a little different, the following are some responsibilities that carry across most specialties:
Manage Patient Cases
Nurse daily routines involve handling patients in hospital and professional settings. Based on how each patient reacts to therapy, nurses collaborate with physicians and other members of the care team to plan and carry out patient care.
For instance, a hospital nurse might notice that a patient is not improving after a specific medication. Because nurses spend so much time with their patients, they’re often the first to notice changes in patient status. The nurse will discuss their findings with the doctor, and the care team will modify the treatment strategy accordingly. The nurse will next put the modification into practice and monitor the patient to see whether the patient improves. The nurse is an essential front-line member of the patient care team.
While designated patient case managers coordinate care between providers, all nurses participate in case management to some degree.
Manage Medical Records
A crucial aspect of patient care is the use of medical records. Accurate records enable medical professionals to provide high-quality treatment while ensuring that care notes are smoothly transferred between shift changes. Nurses document every time they check on a patient, administer medication, and assist with the activities of daily living (ADLs).
Most hospitals and clinics use electronic health records (EHRs) for patient charting. If a patient is transitioning from one hospital to another for ongoing care, EHRs make it simple to transfer their records from one provider to the next. You’ll need basic technical skills to maintain medical records, which you’ll start learning in nursing school during clinical rotations.
Nurses document patient histories in addition to the medical care patients receive. Accurate data is crucial because it reduces the risk of a medical error and improves the likelihood of a favorable patient outcome. For example, a nurse can check a patient’s EHR to ensure they are not allergic to a prescribed medication. The EHR will also list every dose of pain medication administered to a patient, so nurses can ensure patients do not receive too much.
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Take Vitals
Nurses often monitor patient status by taking their vital signs, including blood pressure, temperature, respiratory rate, and pulse. They may measure vitals when they first interact with patients and then periodically throughout the day. Vital signs give nurses and doctors a clear indication of the patient’s condition. For example, high blood pressure may indicate discomfort, and fever may indicate an infection or other illness.
In a hospital environment, nurses must regularly collect vital signs, documenting them as often as every hour. Nurses also evaluate their patients visually to monitor their well-being. To rapidly identify serious signs and symptoms or status changes, nurses develop the ability to quickly examine a patient from head to toe, even when the patient is unaware.
Give Support and Education
One of the most important nurse responsibilities is providing patient and family caregiver education. Nurses need to ensure their patients understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and recommendations, such as lifestyle changes.
This is important for multiple reasons. First, patients have the right to informed consent; that is, they need to be fully informed of potential risks and benefits before consenting to a treatment or surgery. Solid patient education can also encourage patients to become active and engaged participants in their own care. This improves treatment adherence, health literacy, patient outcomes, and patient satisfaction, while potentially reducing hospital readmissions.
Along with delivering patient and family caregiver education, nurses often need to provide emotional support. Some patients experience fear or nerves when seeking medical treatment, particularly when dealing with major diseases or traumas. Nurses have opportunities to develop a rapport with their patients, which can be helpful as patients process their diagnoses.
Nurses can offer a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on while being honest with the patient. It’s no surprise that nursing has been rated the most trusted profession for 25 consecutive years by Gallup.
“In addition to providing care, nurses also serve as educators for patients and families. Much of their time is spent teaching and reinforcing information about disease management, medication, lifestyle changes, and psychological support so that patients and families can safely manage their care.” – Dr. Claudine Dufrene, Executive Dean
Begin Your Nursing Journey Today
The 12-month ABSN program at the University of St. Thomas Houston is committed to facilitating your success, both in school and in your career, so you can manage all that in the day in the life of a nurse. We offer personalized admission support to help you get started, along with Academic Success Coaches and access to attentive faculty in small classes once you’re an enrolled student.
Contact an admissions advisor today to learn more. There is no waitlist, and you can choose from three start dates each year and three locations in the Houston area.