COLLEGE OF NURSING The college of nursing has the responsibility of preparing nursing students to become professional nurses.

Uplifting the standard of nursing by inservice education and refresher courses etc., are included in the functions. The personnel consists of principal,viceprincipal.professors,assistant professors,tutors and clinical instructors. NURSING SERVICE The primary purpose of the nursing service is to provide comprehensive,safe,effective and well organized nursing care through the personnel of the department.The personnel consists of the nursing superintendent, assistant nursing superintendents, head nurses and staff nurses.All of these are registered nurses.Other personnel who function in the nursing service department may include the auxiliary personnel-nurse aids and domestics who handle the non-nursing services. Nurses Station The nursing station must be designed well and located in the most suitable place.Limit the time inefficiently used by the nurse in moving from one place to another. A centralized location of nursing station is desirable.The patients record charts are kept here.There is greater access to the patient from the centralized position.It may also be a good idea to locate the acute care patients closer to the nursing station.This would ensure better care of patients who need constant attention and care.It is a good idea to have a direct line of sight of such patients from the Nursing Station. The Nursing Station must have all the routinely needed items of supply,including the commonly needed drugs.Emergency medicines should be available on a trolley for quick movement to any bed,where they may be needed. Writing Reports Hospital needs clear,factual reports.Hence records must be maintained by the nurses as per the care rendered. They have to be sufficiently detailed and unambiguous. If even a small part of the report is incorrect,the whole report becomes unreliable. The reports have great value in the proper treatment and review,in medico-legal cases and when there is negligence.

Meetings

The Administrator should ensure that there is constant communication between all the nursing staff. The Nursing Superintendent will meet with the ward sisters and staff nurses.These meetings will be utilized for imparting information,making announcements and discussions regarding general problems.The meetings will also be used for continuing education. Nursing policy and Procedure Manual A nursing policy and procedure manual is helpful and important for a hospital.Copies must be available in each ward and section. A copy should be given to every member of the Nursing service on their joining the service. If any policy is updated,written instructions should be given to be included in the manual.The manual will reduce the headache of the administrator. The details to be provided in the manual include, 1. The organizational set-up of the Nursing Service in the hospital and the relationships with other departments. 2. The duties,responsibilities and authority of, Nursing Superintendent,Assistant Nursing Superintendent,if there are any, Ward Sisters Staff nurses Auxiliary nurses Nursing aids Nursing students Other nursing personnel 3. Staffing patterns for 24 hour nursing coverage for The hospital Each of the wards Sections and departments 4. Policies regarding engaging private nurses : their duties,responsibilities and priviledges,if the hospital policy allows engaging private nurses. 5. Requisition for equipment,instruments,linen,supplies;their storage,care and use. 6. Policy regarding release of information to Patients Relatives Employees, and public 7. Safety rules 8. Reporting procedures 9. Emergency crisis care management 10. Handing over and taking over

11. House keeping 12. Food service 13. Nursing records and reports 14. Communicable diseases and isolation 15. Admission procedures 16. Transfer of patients to other wards/ other hospitals 17. Patient restraints 18. Missing patients/absconding patients 19. Control of visitors 20. Indents for medicines,routine and for emergency care;unused medicines 21. Health education;patient education 22. Patientt discharge procedures 23. The dying patient;service after death 24. Patient to be sent to operation theatre,radiology,clinical laboratory and other areas 25. Blood bank,blood donation,blood transfusion 26. Adverse reaction reports drug infusion,transfusion 27. Nurse as part of Therapeutic team Investigative team Supportive team 28. Legal aspects,consent forms,witnessing wills signatures and agreements 29. Ethics;negligence;competence;compassion

Responsibilities of a nurse The duties, responsibilities and authority of the nurse may be defined under various headings : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. As a member of the team,managing patients and providing health care As a competent and compassionate bedside nurse As an educator of patients,families and people As a learner (self-learning and continuing education) As a researcher and helping in research,and As an administrator

The responsibilities of a nurse in a hospital are to the patients under her care,to the profession,to the people and to the co-workers.The fundamental responsibilities of the nurse are four fold : To promote health To prevent illness

To restore health and function To alleviate suffering

The emphasis has been on the last two.While these are important,it is necessary to discharge faithfully the first two also,which can be done in a variety of ways health education,nutrition,education,patient education,well-baby clinics,antenatal and post natal clinics,immunization and many other.Nurse render services to the individual,the family and society. Nursing care should be provided with respect of life,human dignity and rights of the person.Illness is often dehumanizing. The nurse should restore the person to human dignity and do nothing which will reduce it.The nurse has the responsibility to be competent always,updating her knowledge,skill and attitude by continuing education.She maintains high standards of personal conduct when taking acting in her professional capacity.