Usually, during the execution of an employment contract, the nursing staff who are hired by the hospital are invited to study the functional responsibilities of the nurse. This is necessary in order to avoid possible conflicts between the administration of the medical institution and the new employee. Indeed, in an employment contract, as a rule, not all features of the work provided are formulated clearly and completely. In the job description, the duties of the nurse are described and as specific as possible.
Suppose, in the practice of hospital work, controversial situations about the delineation of the functions of procedural nurses and junior nurses are often encountered. If, for example, the duties of a junior nurse include cleaning the treatment room, then the procedural nurse should be exempted from this labor function, and, accordingly, the point for cleaning the working area in her employment contract is excluded.
So, according to the job description, the functional responsibilities of the nurse working in the treatment room of the hospital department include:
the implementation of diagnostic procedures for medical appointments;
first aid;
ensuring the operation of the treatment room and the availability of necessary materials, that is, a regular check for the availability of tools, dressings, medicines, canned blood and blood substitutes;
following the rules of infection control (compliance with the standards for disinfection and sterilization, asepsis and antiseptics);
blood sampling from a vein for biochemical examination and sending it to the laboratory;
ensuring strict accounting and storage of medicines of groups A and B;
timely completion of medical documents according to special accounting forms;
following the norms and rules of medical ethics (keeping medical secrets, observing subordinate relations, intelligible and patient explanation of the doctor’s prescriptions for patients);
following the rules of the internal labor schedule;
periodic training;
preparation of an office for receiving patients;
disinfection of cabinet surfaces for procedures;
quartzing and airing the cabinet according to the schedule approved by the administration of the medical institution.
It should be borne in mind that the structure of the job description must necessarily include, along with the section "Functional Responsibilities of a Nurse," her rights. This category includes:
- a reasonable presentation of requirements to the administration regarding the creation of working conditions that allow the qualitative and timely fulfillment of the functional duties of a nurse;
- exercising control over the work of junior medical personnel;
- making suggestions to the management of the department on improving the functioning of health facilities (within the competence of the nurse);
- taking part in conferences and meetings of nursing staff;
- appeal of the actions of the management of the department to the chief physician of the medical institution.
In addition to the rights and obligations, the job description of the nurse also provides for a certain responsibility of the average medical worker, which he bears at his workplace, for:
- safety measures during the implementation of medical procedures, compliance with antiseptic, aseptic standards;
- the safety of medicines and equipment cabinet;
- timeliness and accuracy of filling out the documentation of the treatment room.
Thus, knowledge of the structure and the main points of their duties by the newly-made nurse of the treatment room will, on the one hand, prevent violations of her rights, and on the other, determine the area of responsibility at the workplace.