Master Nursing RN Roles & Responsibilities

The caregiver role is the fundamental role of the nurse. Caregiving embraces the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs of a patient. It supports patient health through prevention of illness, encouragement of well-being, and promotion of independence and autonomy.

The counseling role assists patients in developing the skills to realize solutions, address challenges, build relationships with the self and others, and problem-solve. The nurse uses social skills and understanding with patients to identify and build a supportive network and frame solutions to the patient’s unique challenges and problems.

As a teacher/educator, nurses use their assessment skills to identify educational barriers, needs, and learning goals to create individualized teaching plans addressing challenges and improving the patient’s understanding and ability to meet these goals.

Communication is essential to all nursing roles. Nurses use communication to build and sustain relationships with patients and other health professionals. Communicators identify client problems and healthcare needs, relaying this information with other members of the interprofessional team and supporting the development of mutual understanding and dialogue.

Nurses advocate for a patient's human or legal rights, as well as their needs and wishes regarding their care. They continue this advocacy in the presence or absence of the individual patients, and through holistic, including sociopolitical, means.

Leaders understand and help influence others to accomplish mutual goals. Effective leadership in nursing practice is patient and team-centered, basing plans and actions on achieving optimal outcomes for both and reinforcing effort toward the original common direction.

Nurses play a researcher role by seeking out learning opportunities, self-education, translation of evidence into empirical practice and opportunities to contribute to the development of theoretical and empirical understanding. Nurses act within this role for the benefit of the patients they serve and to reinforce and strengthen the professional values, academia and ethos of the profession.

Nurses use skills to communicate, facilitate care, and connect members of the health care team to address patient needs and goals. They work toward mutual understanding and effective collaborative action.