Name: |
Staff Nurse or Clinician |
Description: |
The staff nurse has an incredibly
complex job: one of the most difficult positions
in one of the most complex organizational
settings that exists in the American work world.
The entry-level staff nurse makes nursing
judgments based on scientific knowledge and
relies on procedures and standardized care plans.
Interventions are directed toward alleviating
physical and psychosocial health problems. The
staff nurse advances to an intermediate level
with experience and becomes more skilled in
developing individual and innovative care plans
to meet client needs. A more advanced clinician
with a broader base of experience cares for
clients with complex and unpredictable problems |
Settings: |
Widely varied inpatient areas,
including medical-surgical, pediatric, perinatal,
geriatric, psychiatric, rehabilitation,
critical-care, and emergency/trauma, as well as
outpatient areas such as home health, community,
public health, occupational health, and schools |
Characteristics: |
Provides direct patient care;
teaches patients and families self-care;
administers medications, IV therapy, and
treatments; performs assessments; plans,
implements, evaluates, and documents care; serves
as preceptor, team leader, and charge nurse
supervising RNs, LPNs, NAs, NTs; advocates for
the patient and family with other members of the
healthcare team |
Drawbacks: |
Staffing issues, excessive
paperwork, conflicts (e.g., with patients,
families, other healthcare providers), stress |
Desirable
skills: |
Technical, human, and conceptual
skills: critical thinking and creative problem
solving, therapeutic communication and teaching
skills, technical skill and proficiency,
teambuilding, supervision and delegation,
responsibility and accountability, flexibility,
knowledge of resources, commitment to high
standards and quality care |
Education: |
RN with AD, Diploma, or BSN
(preferred) |
Employers: |
Hospitals, extended-care and
ambulatory centers, community-based providers |
Certification: |
|
Publications: |
| Nursing
Spectrum (available in selected regions
of the country) |
| 800-770-0866 |
| |
| American
Journal of Nursing |
| |
| American Nurse
Newsletter |
| 800-284-CERT |
| |
| Nursing97 |
| 215-628-7796 |
| |
| RN |
| 800-284-8945 |
|
|
