A professional who provides general nursing care to patients in hospital, nursing home, infirmary, or similar health care facility. Responsibilities include:

• Administers prescribed medications and treatments in accordance with approved nursing techniques.
• Prepares equipment and aids physician during treatments and examinations of patients.
• Observes patient, records significant conditions and reactions, and notifies supervisor or physician of patient's condition and reaction to drugs, treatments, and significant incidents.
• Takes temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and other vital signs to detect deviations from normal and assess condition of patient.
• May rotate among various clinical services of institution, such as obstetrics, surgery, orthopedics, outpatient and admitting, pediatrics, and psychiatry.
• May prepare rooms, sterile instruments, equipment and supplies, and hand items to surgeon ; obstetrician , or other medical practitioner.
• May make beds, bathe, and feed patients.
• May serve as leader for group of personnel rendering nursing care to number of patients.