What is the role of a practice nurse?

A registered nurse (also known as an RN) works in similar environments and institutions as an enrolled nurse. However, because of their higher level of education, registered nurses fulfil tasks that require higher skill levels and usually hold more responsibility and seniority within their employer clinic or hospital. Registered nurses work alongside doctors, specialists and allied health professionals to provide care to patients. They perform a range of diagnostic tests and administer medications, including via intravenous lines. They also observe and record patients' vital signs and behaviour.

As a registered nurse, you may prepare patients for examinations and tests and assist in some operations. Registered nurses help create patient care plans and have the overall responsibility of ensuring a patients' medical records are correct and up to date. There are opportunities for registered nurses to progress into more specialised fields, such as emergencies, critical care, community health and aged care, as well as taking on management roles within an institution.

Services

Our Practice Nurses have services that they supply to our clinic such as:

• Health Assessments
• Blood Tests
• Administering immunisations
• Assisting with minor procedures
• Discussing and reviewing test results with patients
• Writing up patient care plan referrals
• Providing chronic illness patients with maintenance care plans

Qualifications of a registered nurse

As it is a more senior role, to become a registered nurse you can complete a bachelor level degree, such as a Bachelor of Nursing or a Bachelor of Science majoring in Nursing. This is typically a three-year, full-time course. To be accepted into one of these programs, you can finish Year 12 with an adequate Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and some prerequisite subjects.

To be a practising registered nurse, you can register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and renew this annually.