Why are nurses important in healthcare? Nurses are often the patient care team members with the most direct patient interactions, and they play a pivotal role in administering care, educating patients, advocating for the vulnerable and coordinating care.
The approximately 3 million nurses working today comprise the backbone of the U.S. healthcare industry and are the largest single profession within the field. However, with an increasing population of patients in need of more care than ever before, there is still a nursing shortage. Consistently ranked the most trusted profession in America, nurses play an increasingly significant role in providing care to patients and in the administrative side of healthcare.
As nurses take on more responsibilities, this blog post will address the questions, “Why are nurses important in healthcare?” And “What is the role of a nurse?” Most recently, the demands of an increasingly complex healthcare industry have meant that in this new landscape the role of nurses has changed.
Mercer University offers the Second Degree Accelerated BSN track to provide a pathway for individuals with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree to become a nurse sooner than completing a traditional two-year program.
The Role of Nurses in Modern Healthcare
Nurses have delivered a high standard of exceptional care to the public for decades, earning professional respect within the medical community through lobbying, organizing, and advancing the profession academically. The role of nurses has expanded tremendously over the last 70 years. Once viewed as support members of a clinical care team, nurses have become valued partners in patient care, working collaboratively with physicians and other professionals to deliver the best possible outcomes.
To understand why nurses are important in healthcare today, it is important to review how patient relationships are fostered and how nurses collaborate with other practitioners.
See some of the biggest benefits of a career change to nursing.
Nurses Spend More Time with Patients
Reflect on a recent doctor’s appointment. After you checked in at the front desk, chances are a nurse was the first person you met. While they gathered information about your health and checked your vitals, they may have engaged in what seemed like casual conversation. However, these exchanges serve a much bigger purpose than simply creating a comfortable atmosphere or filling silences.
Skilled nurses understand that building relationships with patients can be beneficial in uncovering important health information — information patients might not share otherwise. Once the doctor met with you, the nurse likely returned to discuss any medications the doctor prescribed and asked if you had any additional questions before helping you check out.
The time nurses spend with patients in the hospital is even greater. Research on the time intensive care patients spend with at least one healthcare practitioner reveals that around 86% of that interaction was with nurses, compared to just 13% with physicians. In the case of overnight hospital stays, the time spent with nurses was even greater.
The Role of a Nurse in Patient Advocacy
The time nurses spend with patients also gives them unique insights into their patients’ wants and needs, behaviors, health habits, and concerns, thus making them important advocates in patient care. The American Nurses Association lists advocacy as a “pillar of nursing” and considers it one of the most significant reasons why nurses are important in healthcare.
The advocacy role of a nurse can take many forms too. For example, when speaking with a patient’s family member, a nurse might uncover a critical detail not reflected in the patient’s charts and relay this information to the healthcare team. Or a nurse might have concerns that a medication is not working as expected and call the pharmacist to discuss it.
Patient advocacy might also mean helping coordinate a patient’s care with another provider’s office or ensuring that a patient has provided informed consent before undergoing a procedure. Ultimately, this role is one of the most visible examples of the value of nurses from the patient’s perspective.
The Role of a Nurse in Patient Education
A challenge across the U.S. healthcare industry is low health literacy among healthcare populations. Health literacy refers to the ability to understand basic health information to make informed decisions.
The scientific knowledge of medicine that forms the foundation of physicians' expertise can present a challenge when translating complex medical terminology for patients. Furthermore, some patients may experience feelings of intimidation within the healthcare setting, influencing their ability to ask clarifying questions.
In their work, nurses devote much of their time and energy to educating patients. This could mean helping them understand a treatment or procedure, describing medications and side effects details, emphasizing the importance of proper nutrition and good hygiene, or sharing how a clinic operates.
Nurses and their Role in Monitoring Patients’ Health
Another important element of nurses’ role in today’s complex healthcare environment is the monitoring of patients’ care and keeping records. Nurses serve on the front lines of care. While physicians and other care team members also check on patients, nurses monitor their condition day in and day out.
As part of assessing patients, nurses chart everything from patients’ vital signs and reasons for visiting to their likelihood of falling (referred to as a “fall risk score”) and current medications. Then, they summarize these assessments, update patients’ permanent medical records, and apply corresponding charges (a function of billing). In fact, nurses spend a fair amount of time updating records and communicating pertinent information to the larger care team.
How Nursing Roles May Differ by Specialty
While nurses have a common range of responsibilities within the field, an overall role can change depending on the practice area you enter as a nurse. For example, as a registered nurse, you often have the highest number of direct patient interactions of anyone within the patient care unit.
On the other hand, nursing roles like that of a clinical nurse specialist are usually more involved in leadership or administrative roles where they advise other nursing staff on ways to improve the quality of patient care. From patient interactions to day-to-day responsibilities to their location in the hierarchy, the nursing role you pursue can determine your career.
Magnet hospitals, with their nursing leadership, are associated with higher job satisfaction and better patient outcomes. Learn more about these institutions.
Nurses Today Have Greater Autonomy Than You Might Think
What does having autonomy in the nursing profession mean? Especially in the case of hospital stays, nurses are often the first to discover a health problem. While notifying the attending physician is standard protocol, there are times when nurses must act immediately to stabilize the patient.
In other cases, as part of the order set, a physician may spell out instances when a nurse can act without seeking permission from the doctor. (For example, if a patient’s magnesium levels drop to a specified level, the nurse may give the patient magnesium without consulting the doctor.)
This autonomy requires nurses to have a thorough understanding of their scope of practice and collaborative, trusting relationships with physicians and other key care team members. It is also why many hospitals hire nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Want to Join the Ranks of the Most Trusted Professionals in America?
If the role of nurses appeals to you, and if you hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, a rewarding career in nursing could be closer than you think with Mercer University’s Accelerated BSN (ABSN) track.
Our nursing program makes it possible to earn your BSN degree in as few as 12 months through online coursework, hands-on labs at our high-tech learning site, and clinical rotations at top local healthcare facilities.
Speak with an enrollment counselor today to learn more about Mercer University and determine if the ABSN track is right for you.