As an RN, my work is different every day. It all depends on my patients’ problems. Nursing is an all-encompassing job. Not only am I responsible for dispensing patient medication, I’m also responsible for patient safety—both physical and psychological. Nurses spend a lot of time comforting patients who are upset because they’re unsure of their health. Another big part of nursing is educating others. RNs educate families who often need to know how to care for the patient, and of course we educate the patients on how to care for their own needs.

Some people think doctors manage nurses, but we actually work as a team.   For instance, in addition to a patient’s medical diagnosis, there’s also a nursing diagnosis that’s based on patient assessments and needs. On a daily basis, I plan patient care according to health conditions I see. It’s important to watch for trends, such as deteriorating health conditions, so that I can catch problems before they become serious. Doctors have more advanced training in medicine, but the nurses are the ones who spend time with patients.

Unlike an RN’s daily routine, a nursing assistant’s work is pretty similar from day to day.   When I was a nursing assistant, I arrived at 2:45 p.m. I reported to the nurse’s station, and picked up a written report that told me what I would be doing until 11:00 p.m. The report told me the names of my patients, what rooms they were in, and what their needs were. I answered patients’ call bells, served meals, delivered messages, made beds, and helped patients eat, dress, and bathe. I also observed patients’ physical, mental, and emotional conditions and reported any change to the nursing or medical staff. Nurse assistants don’t give patients medications or draw blood, but they’re responsible for patient safety, which includes turning and lifting patients who can’t get out of bed. One of the nurse assistant’s responsibilities in this process includes keeping up with certain patients’ fluid intake and output.

As a nurse assistant, the first thing I did when I came on duty was to check on my patients to see if any needed drinks or snacks. We served a meal at 5:00 p.m., but sometimes patients who are scheduled for a test or an operation aren’t allowed to eat, which can make them grumpy.  In times like this, nurses need to know how to work with all types of people—how to talk to them and listen to them. There’s not a lot nurse assistants do medically, but doctors and RNs are sometimes so busy they don’t have a lot of time to stay with patients, so they can feel ignored.  As a nurse assistant, I often had less to do than a registered nurse; so, if a patient wanted to talk, I would stay and talk as long as I could.

One of the nicest parts about my job as a nurse assistant was that, when my shift was over, I could go home. RNs, however, are sometimes asked to stay beyond the end of their shift if the next shift is short on nurses. Currently, I work six days per week. Also, RNs have to fill out all of their patients’ paperwork before they go home. It takes a lot of time and paperwork to admit a new patient. Any time an RN has a lot of admissions, he or she could be working well into the next shift.