The nursing profession is one of the most expansive and varied careers in the marketplace.
I found that the team of professionals that the registered nurse works with depends significantly on where that nurse works, such as an office setting versus a hospital setting, the team may be different.
Considering this, I will talk about the RN in a hospital setting and those he or she works with to better the patient’s health.
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Who Do Nurses Work With?
Nurses work with many different professionals ranging from physicians, nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, respiratory therapists, and nurse aides.
We’ll discuss all the members we just mentioned plus others who are part of the multidisciplinary team below.
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Do Not Forget the Most Important Team Member
Is it not the patient and their family who leads their team of professionals to get them healthy enough for discharge?
While the registered nurse works with a host of professionals who make up the hospital team, I always felt that the team’s most important person is the patient and their family.
Let’s not forget the patient as being a prime team member.
The Most Important Person the RN Works with is the Patient
It is the patient who communicates with their nurse on their overall health progress. In most cases, the patient alerts the nurse when signs and symptoms appear caused by many factors.
The patient tells the nurse when they feel well enough to return home or stay an additional day. This is the patient’s right.
Unfortunately, I have seen instances where the team forgets just who they are working for; if it were not for the patient, no one on the team would have a job.
It is the patient and nurse who alert specific members of the team that they are needed.
Considering the patient at the top of the team, the new Registered Nurse and patient work with many professionals every day.
The RN must keep on top of what every member of the team is doing. This is an exhausting effort for the nurse.
However, seasoned nurses have, for the most part, conquered these efforts. This can, however, make a new RN’s head spin.
It is up to the Registered Nurse assigned to the patient to pull all of these professional team members together and know each professional’s part in that patient’s life.
Members who make up a hospital team are as follows.
Who Nurses Work With
1. Hospitalists
Hospitalists are medical doctors who work for the hospital and are appointed patients to care for in place of the patient’s primary care physician.
2. Primary Care
Primary Care Doctors keep in contact with the Hospitalist regarding their patient.
3. Specialists
Specialist doctors are appointed to join the medical team when the patient needs specialized care such as a Cardiac specialist or an Infection Control Doctor.
4. Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioners can stand in for the primary care physician they work for and may make hospital rounds on patients and work with the Hospitalist. The NP can diagnose and write orders in the absence of the doctor.
5. Other Nurses
Nurses on teams are comprehensive and varied, such as Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered nurses, Case Manages, Nurse Practitioners, with each having different duties but contributing to the team under the assigned RN.
Related: The Different Types of Nurses (The Complete List)
6. Social Service
Social Service members look out for the patient’s physical and mental well-being when they are nearing discharge home.
7. Medical Technicians
Medical Technicians, now known as Certified Nurse’s Aids, provide basic needs to the patient. They are highly skilled in recording vital signs and reporting to the nurse a change in status.
8. Respiratory Therapists
Respiratory Therapy monitors the patient’s respiratory condition.
9. Speech Therapists
Speech Therapy works with patients who have difficulty speaking or swallowing.
10. Physical Therapists
Physical Therapists are specialists who works with injured patients to help them improve their movement or to manage physical pain.
11. Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapists are specialized team members who can help the patient if they’re struggling with activities of daily living.
12. Dietary Consultants
Dietary Consultants consult the patient on their nutritional needs, such as advising the patient in following specific diets.
13. Phlebotomists
Phlebotomists are those who start IV lines and draw blood as ordered.
14. Emergency Medical Personnel
Emergency Medical Personnel is the first responders who attend to the patient and give the nurse an update on condition and issues when the patient is first brought in via ambulance to the emergency room.
15. Police/Public Safety Officer
Police may come to the hospital due to accidents and injuries of the patient inflicted by others.
This team of professionals working with and under the patient’s registered nurse has but one goal in mind, the patient, and how they can get the patient well enough, physically, and mentally to return home.
The Registered Nurse must pull all of these professionals together so that everyone is on the same page and not pulling in different directions with different patient goals in mind.
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The Duties of The Registered Nurse
No matter what level your Registered Nurse status is, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, or Nurse Practioner, a nursing career remains a significant profession.
This career is a call to serve others in the highest capacity and provides the best benefits anywhere.
The RN can save lives, work with a team of professionals, to help patients onto a healthier living pathway.
The nursing profession has dramatically changed over the last several years. Employers, namely hospitals, are requiring Registered Nurses to get more education.
Hospital administrators are pushing nurses to obtain their bachelor’s degrees, then masters degrees, and finally, their nurse practitioners degree.
Team members are also being encouraged to gain a higher education to meet the demands of society.
Search for a Job or a School
We invite you to leave your comment on our website and take a look at our job board for a job you may be looking for in the health profession.
Our site has a list of schools if you are interested in gaining higher education in the medical field.
Remember that a higher degree opens more doors of opportunity to you as a professional nurse with a salary of about $35.00 per hour and just over $73,000 per year for an RN.
