Nurses serve in many different roles throughout their professional careers. Professional registered nurses and nurse practitioners often work directly with patients as care providers, diagnosing and offering evidence-based practice interventions to alleviate pain or promote healing. In some situations, nurses can become leaders in their healthcare organization. As leaders, professional registered nurses are in managerial positions in which they coordinate care among various providers, leading teams of nurses to ensure the highest quality of patient care on a specific unit within a hospital or private clinic. Nurse practitioners and registered nurses also serve a critical role in the community as patient advocates, standing up for disenfranchised members of the community to improve access to healthcare resources for all persons. Finally, nurses can become involved in policy, either as healthcare administrators or as policy analysts. The multifaceted roles of professional nurses can be referred to as the anatomy of care.

As the anatomy of care, the many roles registered nurses fill begins with the skeletal structures: the firm foundations of nursing education and evidence-based practice. Nurses learn about new technologies, and are dedicated to professional and personal development throughout their careers. Similarly, nurses can become involved in the processes whereby healthcare systems, policies, and institutional procedures and protocols are improved with the outcome of shaping patient outcomes to meet specific organizational goals (Hughes, 2008). Within the healthcare setting, the registered nurse provides care in a number of different and specific ways including communication, delivery of critical care services, technologies, tests, and medications, and by providing emotional or spiritual care. The registered nurse is also responsible for serving as a liaison between patients and other healthcare practitioners, coordinating care among various members of the healthcare team, and working with the families of patients in a culturally competent way. Most of these services can be considered the muscles of the anatomy of care. Finally, nurses provide care in the healthcare organization by remaining competent in their professional role but always sensitive to the needs of their patients.

References

Hughes, R.G. (2008). Nurses at the sharp end of patient care. Patient Safety and Quality. Retrieved online: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2672/