JOB Description

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF VARIOUS

CATEGORY OF NURSING PERSONNEL
INTRODUCTION

There is a need for job descriptions, because it is learnt through some studies that the
most workers function in a mechanical fashion and are not conscious of the role assignment to
them. It has been commented that lack of knowledge of one’s job and functions and that of
other team members is one of the reasons for many problems in the functioning of the health
team (Delta 1978).

According to one study; the medical officers interviewed and observed were not clear
about their own duties and responsibilities (Ramchandran 1980). It is fact that many persons
who are expected to perform certain role according to their job show some deficiencies in it.
Thus it is imperative that the role of each category of health manpower should be clarified
through providing written job description, training and through participative approach.

TERMINOLOGIES

Standing Instructions: Orders, Rules, Regulations or procedures prepared by the professional

staff.

Sophisticated: Discriminating in taste and judgment.

Authorities: The power or right to enforce obedience, an expert in a subject.

Quantum: A required or allowed amount.

Jurisdiction: The administration of justice, a legal or other authority.

Recruit: A service man or a service woman newly enlisted and not yet fully trained, a new
member of a society.

Condemn: Find guilty

Disburse: Expend money, Defray a cost.

Cordial relations: Heartfelt, sincere, warm, friendly.

Scrutiny applications: A close investigations or examination of details.

VARIOUS CATEGORY OF NURSING PERSONNEL

A. Staff Nurse

1. Staff Nurse

2. Senior Staff Nurse

B. Nursing Superintendent Grade II

1. Nursing Superintendent Grade II

C. Nursing Superintendent Grade I

1. Nursing Superintendent Grade I

D. Nursing Tutor and Clinical Instructors

1. Nursing Tutor in School of Nursing

2. Clinical Instructor in College of Nursing

E. Principal, School of Nursing/College of Nursing

1. Principal, School of General Nursing/Midwifery or Psychiatry

2. Principal, College of Nursing

F. Lecturer, College of Nursing

1. Lecturer, College of Nursing

G. Professor, College of Nursing

1. Professor, College of Nursing

2. Assistant Professor, College of Nursing

H. Joint Director of Nursing/Deputy Director of Nursing/Assisant Director of Nursing

1. Joint Director of Nursing/Deputy Director of Nursing/Assisant Director of Nursing

I. Public Health Nurse-District Family Welfare Bureau.

 JOB DESCRIPTION OF NURSING PERSONNEL OF
HOSPITAL
A. STAFF NURSE:

1. Staff Nurse , Title: Staff Nurse

Educational Qualifications

a. General pre-university course/ 10+2 or equivalent exam.

b. Professional: 3 years General Nursing/9 months/6 months Midwifery/Psychiatric Nursing

Diploma/Certificate, recognized by Indian Nursing Council. Or Revised General Nursing
and Midwifery/Psychiatric nursing diploma/Certificate Recognized by Indian Nursing
Council. Or Basic B.Sc. Nursing from a recognized University according to Indian Nursing
council norms.

c. Registration: Registered with the Karnataka State Nursing Council/Indian Nursing Council
(INC)/Respective State Nursing Councils.

Standard Norms and INC (Nurse – Patient Ratio)

a. General Wards

 1:3 (Hospital attached with school or college of nursing)

 1:5 (Hospital and attached with school or college of nursing)

b. ICU, ICCU and other specialty 1:1 for 24 hours.

c. Labour room 4 in each shift.

d. Operation Theater 3 for 24 hours/ table

e. Outpatient Department 1 in each clinic room of the OPD

f. Casualty and emergency 1:1 in each shift

g. Pediatric unit 1:2 beds

h. And 30% leave reserve post of staff nurses should be maintained

Job Summary

Staff Nurse is a first level professional nurse who provides direct patient care to one patient or
group of patients assigned to her/ him during duty shift and assist in management of
wards/units/special departments. She/ he is directly responsible to Senior Staff Nurse or ward
in charge nurse/ Nursing Superintendent Grade II.
Duties and Responsibilities

Direct Patient Care

a. Carry out the procedures of admission and discharge of the patient.

b. Makes beds of serious patients and helps or guide students or Group “D” employees to
make beds, by supplying linen.

c. Maintains personal hygiene and comforts of the patient.

d. Attends to the nutritional needs of the patient and feeds the helpless patients.

e. Maintains clean and safe environment for the patient.

f. Implements and maintains ward policies and routines.

g. Coordinate patient care with other team members.

h. Take round with the doctors when called to list new orders and see that they are carried
out.

i. Performs various technical task related to nursing care.

1. Administration of medication, i.e. tablets, injections, infusions and transfusion on

prescription or according to standing instructions.

2. Assisting doctors in various medical and surgical diagnostic procedures by preparing

patients and getting ready with required things.

3. Performing simple diagnostic procedures, viz. urine analysis hemoglobin percent, etc.

4. Collecting and sending of specimens for laboratory diagnostic procedures.

5. Recording of vital signs, i.e. temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure.

6. Performing gastric lavage, giving enema, etc.

7. Prepares patient for operation and see that he or she is send to operation theatre with
all necessary papers and medications.

8. Takes care of eyes, ears, back, bowel, bladder, perineum, and breast, etc, whenever
needed.

9. Observers all patients conditions and take suitable actions accordingly and /or reports
changes to ward incharge and /or doctor.

10. Give expert bedside nursing to all patients.

11. Attends last officers in case of a patient dying during shifts and arrange to preserve
dead body in mortuary, or hand over the body with respect to concern family
members/relatives/authorities.
Ward/Unit Management

a. Helps the ward in charge to carry out her/his work or act as ward in charge during their
absence.

b. Maintains general cleanliness of the ward and the sanitary annexure.

c. Supervise the duties of Group “D” employees and guides them and reports accordingly.

d. Writes the diet register and supervises the distribution of diet and report if any, necessary.

e. Maintains scheduled poisonous drug registers.

f. Supervises nursing care and other tasks carried out by the students.

g. Maintains duly room trays, sterilizes instruments and see that procedural trays are in
readiness.

h. Take over from duty nurse of the previous, new and serious patients, instruments, supplies,
drugs etc. and handover the same accordingly.

i. Maintains all the records pertaining to ward/unit.

 Maintains case papers, investigation reports, etc.

 Maintains vital signs charts, intake output charts and other special charts, if necessary.

 Takes special care of medico-legal case papers and records.

 Writes day and night orders and maintains ward statistics.

Operation Theater Management

a. Maintains aseptic environment of the operation theater.

b. Autoclaving of articles, instruments, gloves, linen etc. required for various types of surgery.

c. Receives patients from the ward intact for surgery.

d. Prepares anesthetic trolley and trolley for surgery, according to type and procedures.

e. Assist the surgeon and anesthetist in every step, skillfully while performing various types
of surgery.

f. Indenting and procuring surgical instruments, drugs, gloves, suturing materials and O2, N2,
CO2 etc. required for operation theater.

g. Maintains safety of the Boyle’s apparatus, oxygen cylinder, nitrogen cylinder, anesthetic
drugs and autoclave, etc. in the operation theater.

Management of Labour Room

a. Preparation of expectant mother for aseptic safe delivery.
b. Conducts normal deliveries and reports.
c. Attend and assists the doctors in all obstetrical emergencies.
d. Attend and assists in difficult and abnormal deliveries.
e. Takes care of the newborn and premature babies.
f. Maintains records and reports pertaining to labour room.
g. Indent and procure necessary drugs, supplies linen, etc. to labour room.
Management of Postoperative/ICU/Burns Units
a. Indent and procurement of all the necessary equipment, drugs, oxygen cylinder, which are
required for the units.

b. Operates ECG, EEG, cardiac resuscitation, etc. or other sophisticated high technical
machines whenever needed or assist the doctors in operating such machines.

Psychiatric Unit

a. Assists the doctors in admission and discharge of patients.

b. Prepares patient for ECT and other procedures, and therapies.

c. Assists in management of aggressive, suicidal as grief as other symptoms of the patient.

d. Maintains records and reports of the units.

Educational Function

a. Helps in orientation of new staff and students.

b. Teachers and guides the domestic staff (Group D) for handling bedpans, urinals, etc.

c. Carries out health teaching for individual or group of patients.

d. Extends cooperation and participates in clinical teaching.

e. Provides for and demonstrates methods and procedure whenever needed.

f. Participates in in-service education programs.

g. Plans and implements formal and informal health education program and teaching program.

h. Assists and extends cooperation in medical and nursing research program.

B. SENIOR STAFF NURSE, TITLE: SENIOR STAFF NURSE

Educational Qualifications

a. General: As prescribed for staff nurse.

b. Professional : As prescribed for staff nurse

c. Registration: Registered with Karnataka Nursing Council/ Indian Nursing Council.

d. Experience: Should have experience as staff nurse of not less than 5 years.

Standard Norms

Since it is a first level nursing supervisory role which needs at least one senior staff nurse for
the staff nurse (1:5).

Job Summary

Senior staff nurse is a first level nursing supervisor who is accountable for nursing care
management of a ward or a unit assigned to her/him. She/he is responsible to the Nursing
Superintendent Grade II for her/his ward/unit management. She or he takes full charge of the
ward and assigns work for various categories of nursing and non-nursing personnel working
with her/ him. She or he is responsible for safety and comforts of the patients in her/his ward.

Direct Patient Care

a. Ensure proper admission, discharge of patients.

b. Plans nursing care and make patients assignments as per their nursing needs.

c. Assists in the direct care/ provides direct care to patients as and when required.

d. She/he sees that total health needs of his/her patients as met.

e. Ensures safety, comfort and good personal hygiene of her/his patient.

f. Assists in planning and administration of the therapeutic diet to his/her/patient.

g. Ensures the helpless patients are regularly fed as per direction.

h. Ensures that proper observation records of the patients are made and necessary information
imparted to the concerned authorities.

i. Takes nursing rounds with staffs and students.

j. Makes rounds with doctors, assisting them in diagnosing and treatment of patients.

k. Implements doctors instructions concerning patient treatment.

l. Assists patient and his/her relatives to adjust in the hospital and its routine.

m. Coordinates patient care with other departments.

Supervision and Administration

 Ensures sale and clean environment for the ward/Unit/Special department.
 Makes duty and works assignment.
 Identifying and procurement of ward supplies and equipments and keep records.
 Does regular inventory checking of his/her ward/unit.
 Makes list for condemnation of articles and submits it to all the concerned.
  Assists in making ward requirement.
 Establishes and reinforces standards prescribed in the procedures and manuals of hospital
and policies that are in force.
 Acts as liaison officer between ward staff and hospital administration.
 Maintains good public relations in her/his ward/unit.
 Ensures that ward statistics are regularly submitted.
 Maintains discipline among the personnel working in the particular ward/unit, e.g. staff
nurses, students and domestic staffs.
 Deals appropriately with any adverse situation that occurs in the ward/unit and report to the
concerned authorities.
 Reports about any medico legal cases in the ward/unit.
 Writers and submit confidential reports of the staff (it is not in force but should be).
 Ensures that students get desired learning experience in the ward/ unit.

Educational Function

 Organizes orientation programs for new staff.

 Organizes formal and informal ward teaching, conducts beside clinics and demonstration,
etc.

 Conducts ward conferences/meetings.

 Gives incidental teaching to patient, relatives, staff nurses, students and the domestic staff.

 Guides in formulation of nursing care studies, and nursing care plans etc.

 Evaluates the student’s performances and submit reports to the school authorities.

 Helps in medical and nursing research.

 Encourages staff development program in her/ his ward/unit.

C. NURSING SUPERINTENDENT GRADE II

Title: Nursing Superintendent Grade II

Educational Qualifications

◊ General education: As prescribed for staff nurse.

◊ Professional education: As prescribed for staff nurse.

◊ Registration: As prescribed for staff nurse, registered with Karnataka Nursing

Council/INC ISNC (State Nursing Council)

◊ Experience: Should have experience as senior staff nurse.

Standard Norms

Since it is the second level nursing supervisory role, it needs at least the nursing superintendent
Grade II for three senior staff nurses (1:3).

Job Summary

She/ he is responsible for developing and supervising nursing services of a department or a

floor consisting of two or more wards or units managed by the senior staff nurses. These units
may be in patient wards, outpatient department clinics, operation theaters, obstetric units,
central supply department, etc she/he is responsible to the nursing superintendent Grade I.

Patient Care and Ward/Unit Management

a. Organizes and plans nursing care activities of the department of floor according to the
hospital polices and service needs.

b. Plans staffing pattern and the other necessary requirements of her/his department.

c. Complies and submits nursing statistics to the concerned authorities.

d. Conducts and attends to the departmental and interdepartmental meetings/conferences time

to time.

e. Make regular rounds of her/his department.

f. Ensures to the safety and general dealings of the department.

g. Looks into general comforts of the patient and his/her relatives.

h. Receives report from the night supervisor of her/his departments.

i. Evaluates nature and quantum of care required in each unit/ward.

j. Makes rotation plan for the nursing staff and domestic staff under her/his jurisdiction.

k. Plans ward management with the each ward/unit.

l. Reinforces the principles of good ward management in ward.

m. Helps ward/unit supervisors to procure their ward/unit.

n. Supervise the proper use and care of the equipment and supplies in the department.

o. Acts as the public relation officer of the units and deals with the problems faced by the
supervisor if any, especially with group “D” employees patients attenders.

p. Keeps the Nursing Superintendent Grade I and office informed of the needs of the nursing
wards under her/his charge and of any special problem/problems.

q. Officiates in the absence of nursing superintendent Grade I.

Educational Function
a. Arranges classes and clinical teaching of nursing students in the departments, related to the
specially experience.

b. Implements the ward teaching program and clinical experience of the students with the help
of doctors and nurses.

c. Does counseling and guidance of staff and students.

d. Arranges and conducts staff development programs of her/his department.

e. Assists in planning for and participation in the training of auxiliary personnel.

General

a. Escorts nursing superintend Grade I, Medical Superintendent and special visitors for
hospital rounds.

b. Arranges and participates in professional and social function of staff and students.

c. Acts as a liaison officer between the nursing department and higher hospital authorities.

d. Carries out any other duties delegated by the Nursing Superintendent Grade I.

D. NURSING SUPERINTENDENT GRADE I

Title: Nursing Superintendent Grade I

Educational Qualifications

a. General: As prescribed for staff nurse.

b. Professional: As prescribed for staff nurse

c. Registration: As prescribed for staff nurse.

d. Experience: Should have experience as nursing superintendent Grade II.

Standard Norms

There should be one nursing superintendent Grade I for 200 bedded hospital, one nursing
superintendent Grade I for 2 t0 4 nursing superintendent Grade II.

Job Summary

Nursing superintendent is responsible to the medical superintendent, in a hospital having 200

or above bed strength. She is accountable for the safe and efficient running of the various
nursing departments in the hospital. She is assisted in carrying out her duties by the Deputy
Nursing Superintendent/ Assistant Nursing Superintendent, ward supervisors and clerical,
linen room and domestic staff.

Nursing Services
1. Participates in the formulation of the philosophy of the hospital in general and those
specific to the nursing service.

2. Determines goals, aims, objectives and policies of the nursing services.

3. Implements hospital policies and rules through various nursing units.

4. Decides and recommends personnel and materials requirement for running various nursing
services departments of the hospital.

5. Interviews and recruits nursing staff.

6. Assists in student’s selection and recruitment of other auxiliary staff whose duties are
related to nursing.

7. Ensures the safe and efficient care rendered in the various nursing departments of the
hospital.

8. Makes regular visits in hospitals and wards.

9. Checks if standard of care is maintained and patients are nursed in a clean, orderly and safe
environment.

10. Takes hospital rounds with Medical Superintendent.

11. Selects and secures proper equipment needed for the hospital of nursing home.

12. Looks after the welfare of the patients, their relatives and the nursing staff.

13. Prepares budgets for the nursing services department.

14. Functions as the members of the condemnation board for linen and other hospital or nursing
home equipment.

15. Prepares duly roster, plans staff leave and disburses salary.

16. Gives counseling and guidance to the subordinate staff.

17. Maintains discipline among nurses and other auxiliary staff.

18. Enforces implementation of the hospital rules, regulations and policies.

19. Participates in hospital and interhospital meetings/ conferences.

20. Investigates complaints and takes necessary steps.

21. Evaluates confidential staff reports and recommends for promotion of higher studies.
22. Plans staff development program and arranges for in-service education and orientation
programs, etc.
23. Inspects hospital kitchen and dietary services of the hospital.
24. Arranges student’s clinical experience and councils examinations.
25. Initiates and participates in nursing research.
26. Supervision, guidance and control of group “D” employees of the hospital.

General and Office Duties

 Attends to general correspondence.

 Maintains necessary records concerning the nursing staff, students, confidential reports and
health records, etc.

 Submits annual reports of the nursing service departments of Medical Superintendent, India
Nursing Council and Nurses Registration Council.

 Participates in professional and community activities.

 Maintains, cordial relations with public and voluntary.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 BT Basavanthappa, Nursing Administration. 2nd edition. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers

Medical Publishers; 2009.
 BT Basavanthappa.Nursing Administration. 1st edition. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers
Medical Publishers; 2004.
 Dc Joshi, Mamta Joshi.Hospital Administration. 1st edition. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers
Medical Publishers; 2009.
JOURNAL
 Kemp J.The role and responsibilities of nurses and midwives in polio eradication and
measles control activities: a survey in Sudan and Zambia.Journal of Advanced Nursing;
1984, 9 (2):217-223.
INTERNET
 http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Human-resources-and-labor-