Job Description of Head Nurse
Job Title: Head Nurse
Qualification: Diploma in G.N.M. / B. Sc. (Nursing)
Line of Authority: Responsible to A.N.S. and if A.N.S. is not available in C.H.C. / Sub District Hospital, she will be responsible to Superintendent.
Job Responsibilities
1. Administrative and Supervisory
The Head Nurse is responsible for the smooth running of the ward by following tasks:
- ✦ Assign ward duties to staff nurses, students and servants.
- ✦ Make plans for organization of ward and discipline.
- ✦ Observe discipline in ward.
- ✦ Maintain medication stock.
- ✦ Write reports and orders.
- ✦ Keep custody of dangerous drugs and records of its administration.
- ✦ Report to the immediate authority as and when required.
- ✦ Maintain good relations with members of health team.
- ✦ Supervise the laundry work.
- ✦ Report emergencies, accidents, deaths to the concerned authority.
- ✦ Maintain record of admissions and discharges of patients.
- ✦ Supervise the general cleanliness of the ward and sanitary annexes.
- ✦ Assign/Delegate special work to staff nurse according to his/her abilities.
- ✦ Hold meetings with staff periodically.
- ✦ Maintain record of instruments and equipment.
- ✦ Maintain equipment in working condition.
2. Nursing Care
- ✦ Accountable with patient individually, physical condition specially nursing problem.
- ✦ Ensure that the doctor's orders are carried out.
- ✦ Ensure that the patients get good nursing care and record of it.
- ✦ Ensure that nursing care is carried out.
- ✦ Communicate the patient's condition during doctor round.
- ✦ Ensure the proper transportation of patients.
- ✦ She/He acts as liaising between intra and inter hospital facilities.
3. Teaching
The Head Nurse is also responsible for the educational aspect both for the nursing students and ward staff with co-ordination of Nursing Tutor / Clinical Instructor. She / He is responsible to see that:
- ✦ Teach nursing students about the patient's illness and the type of care that is to be given at bed side.
- ✦ Teach the procedures to nursing students.
• In case the student does not know the procedure the sister can herself teach or give the work to the senior student or the staff nurse. A student who does not know a procedure should not be left on her own.
• If something goes wrong the ward in-charge will be responsible. - ✦ The procedures of patient Care is carried out properly and all repaired articles materials are provided. It should help to have a procedure manual in ward.
- ✦ Co-operates with the tutors in teaching by assigning work to students according to their educational level by arranging Clinical Teaching and inform the nursing tutor about any patients admitted with special type of diseased.
- ✦ Practical work is supervised; health talks are given as scheduled.
- ✦ Servants are taught how to handle sputum mugs, kidney trays, lifting and moving patients.
- ✦ Plans and implements taught lifting and moving patients.
- ✦ She/he participates in in-service education programmes and encourages others.
- ✦ She/he encourages staff nurses to take up higher studies.
- ✦ Participates in research and cooperates with those nurses who may go to carry out research studies.
- ✦ Guide and counsel nursing staff.
- ✦ She must attend national conferences / Seminar and workshop.
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