WHAT COMES TO MIND upon hearing “registered nurse”? The bedside caregiver in a hospital? The person administering medicine in a clinic, tending to a child in a school health office, or checking on a patient at home? How about thinking of a registered nurse as part detective and part confidant?
Each of these is what a registered nurse—commonly called an RN—is and does. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“An RN means so many things, we’re in so many places in the healthcare world,” said Dawn Moore, clinical manager at The Toledo Clinic and an RN for 35 years. “We’re the liaison between the patient and the providers— doctors. We administer the care that the provider wants to be done. It’s hard to encompass because we do so many things.”
Or, as the Cleveland Clinic says, “RNs do many different tasks, including performing physical exams, talking to you about your symptoms, and teaching you about a condition or treatment plan. RNs work in hospitals, doctors’ offices, and many other settings,” such as community health centers and residential care facilities.
“An RN might care for you while you’re staying in the hospital or even during a routine medical appointment. They might also be the person who talks to you about a loved one’s condition and explains what athome care involves. They’re prepared to break down complex information into terms you and your family can understand.” “What the public doesn’t know,” Moore said, “is the breadth of duties RNs do. When you tell people you’re an RN, they ask what hospital you work for.” The fact of the matter is, she said, “we’re in so many places.”
Saying a person is an RN is like saying someone is a baseball player— but at what position? Each requires a special set of skills. “Every nurse has an area [of health care] that is their calling, that speaks to them,” Moore said.
Moore said she began in oncology, caring for patients who were receiving treatment for cancer, then pivoted to being a surgical nurse. “But I returned to oncology, which is what I love,” she said.
As a clinical manager, she oversees the nurses who deal directly with oncology outpatients. Over the years, Moore said, many new cancer- fighting medicines have been introduced—“a positive thing with positive results,” she said—and previous medications are still in use. “It takes a while to build a knowledge base.”
“Nursing is being part detective,” Moore said. “What a patient might think isn’t a big deal maybe is a big deal.” For example, if the oncology patient receiving treatment coughs, the RN would ask about the cough because that may be a sign of inflamed lungs or another problem not readily apparent. “Then we have to do our own assessment—do we take it to the doctor, or do we not take it to the doctor?”
Nursing also is being part confidant. Moore said a patient “can ask their nurse anything and divulge anything. You can use us to say things you don’t want to tell your family. We take this seriously. We are going to take care of you and protect our patients.”
Moore is quick to point out that because of the variety of settings open to RNs, “it’s a great career. If you get tired or bogged down in one area, you can become a whole new different kind of nurse. The exciting thing about nursing is the capability to change yourself completely. It’s nice to know you can reinvent yourself.”
RNs must complete a rigorous education and meet licensure requirements, all of which “ensures they have the knowledge and skills necessary to give you the best possible care,” Cleveland Clinic says.
Moore added, “The majority of people, wherever you are, who are actually licensed to give care are RNs. We’re not on the provider level, but the nurses are the ones who can administer all the medicines.” She said licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and medical assistants (MAs) “are very important, but the most versatile and the most all-encompassing is the RN.”
Moore said, “No matter where that nurse is, they’re there to take care of that patient. We are going to advocate for you and take care of you.”
Dennis Bova is a freelance writer and editor. ✲
