Saint Mary’s University

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

School of Health & Natural Sciences

NURSING DEPARTMENT
Course No. NCM119 Related Learning Experience (RLE)
Subject: Nursing Leadership and Management RLE
Yr. Level: BSN 4
Contact Hours/Credit Units: 9 hours/week(3units)_____________________________________________

DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES of a

HEAD NURSE, MEDICATION NURSE and STAFF NURSE

I. Introduction:
Clinical learning is a main part of nursing education. Students’ exposure to clinical
learning environment is one of the most important factors affecting the teaching-learning
process in clinical settings. Identifying challenges of nursing students in the clinical
learning environment could improve training and enhance the quality of its planning and
promotion of the students.

Clinical rotations and clinical focus are utilized to ensure effective and efficient teaching
and learning in the area. All nursing students are under the supervision of qualified
Clinical Instructors. Students must observe policies, rules and regulations agreed upon
between the school and the base hospital, affiliating institutions and agencies.

II. Learning Objectives:

To familiarize students of the different roles, duties and responsibilities of a nurse in a
hospital setting.

III. Core Content of the Chapter:

Professional Decorum for Nursing Students:

Nursing students are expected to behave properly at all times especially if in the
affiliating hospitals.

1. Courteously knock on every door then introduce yourself.

2. Maintain a moderate tone voice anywhere especially along the corridors and patients’
room.
3. Greet patients, relatives, teachers, employees, and peers as you meet them.
4. Practice and maintain good posture at all times.
5. Students are not allowed to go out of the hospital compound for their snacks/meals.
6. Allowed time for snacks is 15 minutes and 30 minutes for mealtime in any given shift.
7. Students must observe humility, tactfulness, and respect when dealing with others.
8. Always observe the code of ethics for Nurses.
9. Students are not allowed to entertain visitors while on duty.
10. Should an emergency occur where an immediate member of the family is involved,
permission from the clinical instructor must be sought first.
11. In cases of emergency, the unit’s telephone may be used with permission from the
staff and the Clinical Instructor. Otherwise, use of the unit’s telephone is not allowed.
12. Promptness at all times, in all occasions and in any setting, must be observed.
13. Students must strictly adhere to the hospital/community/school policies, rules, and
regulations.
14. Students should not loiter around while in the hospital premises.

Other guidelines for social norms and general behavior are written in Student
Handbook. And must strictly observe.

Duties and Responsibilities

Head Nurse
1. Maintain harmony in the team through the aid of good planning, organizing, directing and controlling.
2. Organized and direct functions and activities in the ward.
3. Implement established policies, procedure, regulations to the staff.
4. Provide clean, orderly, safe and quiet environment and other standards.
5. Assure adequate supplies and to check that equipment’s in the area are functioning properly.
6. Demonstrate care, safety measures and procedures such as:
Monitoring the cleanliness of the ward at all time and ensuring that all medical waste is properly
disposed to designated areas: Infectious, sharps, biodegradable, non – bio degradable and chemical
and radioactive waste.
7. Direct and supervise medication nurse and nursing staff.
8. Evaluate work performance of the medication nurse and nursing staff.
9. Inspect the ward regularly for compliance of policy and procedure. Performing a nursing procedure
efficiently to save time and exposure to patients especially to patients having respiratory symptoms and
always remember the importance of droplet and aerosolized precautions.
10. Maintain patient rights and compliance with hospital policy.
11. Practice confidentiality of patients medical record.
12. Carry out doctor’s orders.
13. Coordinate patient’s care. (Transferring to another ward, X-Ray and other procedure)
14. To monitor closely if patient’s needs are met.
15. Make assignments, give instructions and arrange breaks.
16. Perform duty of a student medication nurse and student nursing staff if needed.
17. Stay focused in every aspect of care and the whole duration of duty.
18. Smile: this decreases a person’s depression, frustration and sometimes pain.
19. Give your tender loving care with sincerity.
20. Endorse the ward to the incoming shift.
21. Maintaining the integrity of PPE’s, following the standard proper wearing of PPE’S: being aware of
donning and doffing areas.

Medication Nurses:
With the direct supervision, the medicationt nurse should be involved in administering medicines via the
following routes:
• oral
• sublingual
• buccal
• nebulized
• inhaled
• intranasal
• topical
• trans-dermal
• intramuscular
• subcutaneous
• vaginal
• rectal
Oxygen must be prescribed and students may be involved in the administration of oxygen in accordance
with the hospital policy.
1. Demonstrates safe and accurate medication administration using 10 rights and 3 checks.
2. Uses evidence-based sources of information when administering medications.
3. Demonstrates the ability to take an accurate medication history from the client.
4. Identifies previous drug allergies, sensitivities or adverse reactions.
5. Complies with the organizational requirements related to safe and appropriate handling, storage
administration and disposal of medications.
6. Be at your patient’s bedside during doctor’s rounds.
7. Administers medications only when a valid medication order is provided.
8. Get the vital signs before giving specific medications. Report any abnormal findings to your head
nurse.
9. Use only recognized and approved abbreviations related to medication administration.
10. Avoid interruptions while preparing and administering medications.
11. Takes appropriate precautions with high risk medications such as: Anti-infectives Potassium and
other electrolytes, Insulin, Narcotics and other sedatives Chemo therapeutic agents, Heparin and other
anticoagulants.
12. Start accomplishing the medication chart once medication is given. Accurately documents medication
administration and medications that are refused or withheld.
13. Provides appropriate patient education about medication use, side-effects, storage and disposal.
14. Responds to, reports and documents adverse drug reactions and medication errors. In accordance
with the organizational policies.
15. Be cautious in calculating dilutions, follow hospital policy re dilution of medications.
16. Always ask the patient’s name before administering. Inform patient about what and why medication is
given.
17. If medication is not available, ask the head nurse to assist you in prescribing the medications. Card
out medication card if needed (D/C meds, or dosage completed)
18. Organize the medication properly. (ex. According to room, bed number, time and frequency)
19. Make sure that the iv tags are filled up with correct information.
Regulate and monitor the level of your patient’s iv fluids. Report immediately if iv fluid is drain or line is
out.
20. Double check for any doubts in the patient’s chart and report/inform the head nurse.
21. Do hand washing before and after preparing medications.
22. Observe proper waste disposal (vials, ampules, sharps, blood).
23. Act professionally. Always use sir/ ma’am in addressing all the personnel in the hospital. Including the
student head nurse.
24. Be courteous.
25. Avoid sitting on the patient’s bed (occupied/ unoccupied).
26. Always endorse patient when you leave the ward.
27. If ever patient is not toxic, have an initiative to help your co- student nurses.
28. Stay focused in every aspect of care and the whole duration of duty.
29. Smile: this decreases a person’s depression, frustration and sometimes pain.
30. Give your tender loving care with sincerity.

Staff Nurse
1. Act professionally. Always use sir/ ma’am in addressing all the personnel in the hospital. Including the
 head nurse.
2. Always be courteous.
3. Assess the needs of the patients in the ward and make nursing care plan for all patients.
4. To render direct patient care (bed making, changing of bed sheets, mouth care, back care, bed
bathing, hair wash, perineal care and changing of position)
5. Provide comfort and maintain safety of the patient.
6. Make sure that your bed tags are filled up with the correct information.
7. Make sure that your iv tags are filled up with correct information.
8. Start your sample charting as soon as you received your patient.
9. Get the vital signs before the time. Report any abnormal findings to your head nurse.
10. Use ruler and pencil in plotting the vital signs.
11. Regulate and monitor the level of your patient’s iv fluids. Report immediately if IV fluid is drain or line
is out.
12. Be at your patient’s bedside during doctor’s rounds.
13. Stay with your patient as much as possible.
14. Avoid sitting on the patient’s bed (occupied/ unoccupied)
15. Always endorse patient when you leave the room.
16. If ever patient is not toxic, have an initiative to help your co- student nurses
17. Stay focused in every aspect of care and the whole duration of duty.
18. Smile: this decreases a person’s depression, frustration and sometimes pain.
19. Give your tender loving care with sincerity.

IV. Activity:
Recitation
Long Quiz

V. Bibliography
Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing Theory and Application
Ninth Edition
Bessie L. Marquiz/Carol J. Huston

Prepared by:

Mrs. Rosalie C. Carreon, RN, MSN