Healthcare subspecialties where you can work as a registered nurse – Part 5

Do you plan to go a medical school but you haven’t yet decided about your future workplace after graduation? Here are some of the various departments you can work as a Registered nurse.

Pediatrics. Your role is to focus on providing healthcare for children, which involve:

– preparing the patients to attend the daily visits conducted by a doctor who assesses the healthcare status for hospitalized children

– measuring the patient’s main health status, such as body temperature and blood pressure, assessment of the overall health of the patient

– collection of biological samples for laboratory medical analysis

– administration of medication (oral medication, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal injections, aerosols, cannula insertion, intravenous infusion), duodenal tube placement for diagnosis purposes.

– accompanying patients to different specialized medical visits within the polyclinic (ENT, neurology, allergology, cardiology)

– accompanying the patient and the doctor to the radiology department (for urinary cystography, urography, barium enema testing)

Registered Nurse at ICU (Intensive Care Unit). Your role in this department is performed under the supervision of the specialized ICU doctor or ICU-specialized GP:

– preparation the medication for anesthesia as per doctor order

– helping and organizing the preanesthesia medical consult

– preparation the patients for the anesthesia procedure: medication administration following the advice of anesthesiologist during the preanesthesia consult

– intravenous infusions for volemic expansion, collection of biological samples for emergency cases and compatibility testing.

– preparation of anesthesia equipment: positioning the tubes system to the appliance, checking the evaporator, ventilator and the circuit.

– preparing the aspiration, checking the intubation and gastric aspiration probes, laryngoscope, facial masks, blood pressure devices, Ruben balloon, monitors, stylets for intubation and bacterial filters.

– preparation of the anesthesia infusions

– intravenous cannulation on peripheral vein and dissolving the substances 

– preparation of the necessary materials for vascular access (catheter) and checking the emergency medication

– attending for any other anesthesia process technique and monitoring are required: placing the electrodes, the blood pressure equipment’s sleeve, the O2 monitoring sensor.

–  measuring the blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation (every 5 minutes or less)

– administration of medication for anesthesia and assisting the doctor for tracheal intubation

–  ensuring the continuity of infusions (monitoring the pupils, skin color, breathing volume amplitude, diuresis, vacuum aspiration)

– administration for blood and blood products transfusion, monitoring the post-transfusion evolution, recording and reporting the potential post-transfusion events

-preparing the medication for post-anesthesia episode (awakening the patient) and assisting into the extubation and transport of the patient in the ICU unit while monitoring the vital signs.

– recording the anesthesia medication and the patients

– preparing the materials and assisting the doctor for local anesthesia procedures

– preparing the laryngoscope and probes for emergency cases

Medical recovery and kineto-physiotherapy Registered nurse

In this role, you will be responsible with accommodating and registering the hospitalized patients and outpatients, while also informing them about the compliance of internal regulations:

 – evaluating patients according to kinetotherapeutic rehabilitation procedures as per doctor’s orders.

– drafting the schedule for recovery programs

– monitoring the patient’s health and wealth during the recovery and kineto-physiotherapy procedures

– monitoring and recording the patient’s health parameters regarding both positive and negative evolution

– informing and training of the patient regarding the treatment, therapeutic effects and potential negative effects

– applying the kineto-physiotherapy procedures according to physical parameters with the purpose of medical recovery as per doctor orders; being accountable regarding the compliance of technical parameters for each procedure

– being compliant with the medical prescriptions registered in the patient’s file and according to the recovery schedule

– documenting and registering the procedures applied to the patient in their medical files and the statistics department

– ensuring the proper preservation and use of equipment by signalling the potential malfunctions

– being able to offer first aid in case of emergency

– responsible for the compliance of prevention set rules for hospital acquired infections

– keeping the professional secret and compliance of the ethical profession code for physiotherapists.

This article is the first of a series about the medical subdomains in which a nurse can work. We will continue the series with several examples of sub-domains, with an emphasis on responsibilities.

Read the next parts:

Part 1

Part 3

Part 2

Part 4