The Nursing it is a profession in the health sector. The nursing professional is a graduate who obtains his degree after five years of university studies complemented with care activities in hospital centers, professionals of a higher technical level in nursing and nursing assistants are also part of this team.
Nursing professionals are mainly dedicated to the care of patients, they are a support in the care activity of the doctor and, like these, they usually study specialization that allow them to work in complex units such as operating rooms, trauma shock, pediatrics, psychiatry and intensive care, among others.
It is one of the most important areas of medicine, despite the fact that in academic records it always appears in the shadow of other more renowned disciplines. Nursing can be carried out both on outpatients and on critically ill patients who require permanent care and protection.
Nursing staff duties
The main objective of nursing is to assist the different branches of medicine (such as pediatrics, surgery, dentistry, ophthalmology, clinical medicine, traumatology, etc.) through various actions related to the patient. In this sense, nursing must be in charge of both the preparation of the patient, and their stabilization, care and permanent observation with the ultimate goal that the individual can access the best results in each type of treatment.
Reception of patients before being evaluated by the doctor. They enter some data into the patient's medical history, take vital signs as well as weight and height, direct the patient to the exam area, and help prepare for the medical evaluation.
Assist in procedures. They collaborate during the execution of procedures by supplying the necessary material and instruments during them, as in the case of skin procedures, sutures, endoscopy, images, etc.
Supply of medicines. These personnel are in charge of passing treatment to patients, mainly when it is required to catheterize peripheral lines for intravenous administration or through the application of intramuscular injections.
Provision of parenteral nutrition. The hospitalized patients who are fed by tubes are assisted by the nursing staff, who also train the family members for the proper use and handling of these devices once the patient leaves the hospital.
Cleaning and hygiene of the patient. The nursing assistants are in charge of the hygiene of the patient and his bed when they are hospitalized.
Patient care at home. Adult patients who deserve a caregiver are usually in charge of a nurse, who is in charge of monitoring their vital signs, recording them, taking care of the patient's hygiene, cleaning ulcers or wounds, administering medications and even help with their diet and activities such as walking and mobilization when this is impeded or limited.
Newborn care. Nursing staff often collaborate in the care of babies in their first months.
Support in preventive activities. Nursing not only cares for the sick, it also supports preventive actions to maintain health. This is done through their participation in preventive medical consultations (such as well-child check-up, healthy adult check-up, occupational medical evaluations), vaccination sessions, screening consultations or activities, and through talks.
It can take care not only of individuals, but also of family groups and different types of social groups with the aim of generating the best conditions on which the corresponding medicine should operate.
In addition, the activity can be carried out both in health centers and hospitals, as well as in the homes of patients or in specific places where an accident or unforeseen event occurs. It goes without saying that a nursing professional has a certain type of responsibility over the patient, although these are usually not as important as those that a doctor has.
There are different types of nursing as there are also different branches of medicine
In this sense, some of the most common specialties are nursing dedicated to elderly adults, people with mental problems, children, adults in long or short-term treatments located in health institutions, to all kinds of individuals in their private homes and many others.
