What Do Nurses Do? 15 Core Duties and Responsibilities of a Nurse by Level of Practice, Work Setting & More

If you are thinking about becoming a nurse, the duties and responsibilities you will have to fulfill represent some of the central factors in your final decision. This is also true when you want to advance your career and orient yourself. 

While there are some core nursing responsibilities and duties applicable to all professionals, elements such as the work setting, scope of practice, and level of preparation significantly influence the obligations of nursing roles and the daily activities of nurses.

In this article, we will examine the duties and responsibilities associated with various nursing roles and their corresponding responsibilities. 

What Do Nurses Do?

Nurses represent the backbone of healthcare. They are on the frontlines of care delivery and practice, while also serving as the ones who enable communication and bridge the gaps between patients, their family and caretakers, and the rest of the medical industry. 

However, the scope of practice of nurses extends well beyond direct care, also encompassing monitoring patient conditions, administering treatments, and providing guidance and emotional support to patients and their families. They perform these activities in collaboration with a team of professionals with varied levels of experience, areas of expertise, and specializations. Additionally, beyond bedside care, nurses play critical roles in care planning, patient education, and advocacy. And, depending on their level of practice and work setting, nursing professionals can serve roles in administration, leadership, education, and research.

Below, we will discuss the core duties and responsibilities of registered nurses – the largest category of professionals in the nursing profession –as well as the differences in scope of practice based on level of education and accreditation, as well as the work setting.

Core Duties and Responsibilities of a Registered Nurse

The duties and responsibilities of Registered Nurses include a mix of clinical expertise, critical thinking, and compassion. RNs are found in most clinical settings (as well as in non-clinical settings) and represent a central part of the nursing profession. Given the variation in requirements, the daily experience of Registered Nurses can differ widely based on each setting. However, below, you can find the core duties and responsibilities of a nurse that should inform your career choices and preparation:

1. Patient Assessment & Monitoring

The first step in interacting with patients supposes assessing their medical condition by checking vital signs, performing physical exams, and observing symptoms. This process also involves ongoing monitoring, ensuring that changes in health status are recognized early and allowing for timely intervention.

2. Medical History & Documentation

RNs also have to collect and record patient histories, current conditions, and care updates in medical records to maintain seamless communication among the care team.

3. Lab Work and Diagnostics

Nursing responsibilities such as collecting blood, urine, and other specimens, assisting with diagnostic tests, and relaying results are frequent in all clinical settings and for most RNs. However, diagnosis may be restricted to better-prepared professionals (Nursing Practitioners or Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) or to professionals who hold the appropriate certification.

4. Medication and Treatment Administration

In some contexts, RNs will also administer medications, initiate IV therapies, and perform other treatments, but generally under the guidance and monitoring of other advanced practice nursing professionals, doctors, or physicians.

5. Patient Observation and Safety

Treatment also involves continuous observation, which helps nurses identify early signs of complications. Registered Nurses often have the task of patient monitoring, and in specific cases, they must act quickly to maintain patient safety, whether by adjusting care or alerting physicians to changes.

6. Care Planning and Coordination

Registered Nurses will coordinate with advanced practitioners, physicians, and other healthcare professionals to develop and adjust individualized care plans for patients with various conditions. The responsibilities of a nurse also extend to coordinating treatments, tracking the process according to the plan, and ensuring progress toward preset recovery goals.

7. Patient and Family Education

Even when a Registered Nurse fulfills a clinical role, providing education and guidance, particularly to patients, families, caretakers, and communities, remains key. RNs should inform and instruct the individuals they care for about medications, treatments, plans, procedures, recovery steps, and preventive care to support the recovery process and long-term health.

8. Emotional Support and Advocacy

Nurses must become trusted advocates for patients in clinical contexts, ensuring their needs and preferences are respected. RNs have the responsibility to provide emotional reassurance during times of stress or uncertainty.

Patient and family education, emotional support, and advocacy are nurses responsibilities that fall within the broader concept of therapeutic communication, a central pillar of nursing practice.

9. Team Supervision

RNs can occupy roles that involve guiding, supervising, and coordinating lower-level healthcare professionals, such as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Clinical Nurse Assistants (CNAs), as well as nurses who are just joining the profession. Nurse roles that involve team supervision are essential for ensuring the delivery of high-quality care and include responsibilities such as delegating tasks and mentoring less experienced team members.

10. Daily Living Assistance

Daily Living Assistance (DLA) involves helping patients with basic activities, such as bathing, feeding, and mobility, which often fall within the scope of Registered Nurse responsibilities. DLA tasks are essential not only for responding to the day-to-day needs of patients but also for promoting comfort, safety, and recovery within clinical environments.

11. Admissions and Discharges

RNs are responsible for guiding patients throughout their recovery journey from start to finish, and are often tasked with managing patient flows. This involves handling intake assessments and discharge processes, orienting patients to the facility, providing treatment instructions, and planning follow-up, particularly by ensuring that patients and their families are prepared for continued recovery at home. 

Guidance through the recovery process is more central for some roles, such as Nurse Navigators, who assist patients from the initial diagnosis through the entire treatment journey, acting as personal advocates.

12. Procedure and Surgery Preparation

In the event of the need for surgeries or similar interventions, Registered Nurses have the responsibility to carefully prepare patients for the procedures by reviewing instructions, verifying consent, and addressing any last-minute questions to alleviate anxiety. They may also assist surgical and procedural teams with equipment setup, positioning, and monitoring, ensuring a smooth and safe experience, but always under the guidance and supervision of the surgeon and better-trained staff.

13. Emergency Response and Life Support

In critical situations, Registered Nurses may be needed to stabilize patients by delivering life-saving interventions, such as CPR, defibrillation, or advanced life support techniques. While not a daily responsibility, knowing how to respond promptly and effectively is critical and can make a difference between life and death.

14. Continuous Learning

Nursing is a lifelong learning profession. RNs pursue ongoing education, nursing certifications, and training to keep pace with evolving treatments, technology, and evidence‑based practices, ensuring they provide the highest quality of care.

15. Teamwork and Soft Skills

Modern nursing is inherently collaborative, with nursing staff working with diverse interdisciplinary teams that include physicians, therapists, case managers, pharmacists, and administrative staff. This makes communication skills essential, as nurses must relay information clearly and advocate for their patients’ needs while also respecting the roles and expertise of other team members. Soft skills, such as emotional intelligence, adaptability, and resilience, are also crucial to enhancing the quality of care and fostering work cohesion, particularly in high-pressure environments.

These 15 areas of expertise and practice represent the core duties and responsibilities of a nurse, defining the role in general. However, differences may arise from the level of practice, work setting, and many other factors.

Nurse Duties and Responsibilities by Level of Practice

While the core duties and responsibilities as reflected in the practice of Registered Nurses are relevant for most professionals and set a baseline for other nursing roles, there is considerable variation within the field of practice. We will explore these differences and varying nurse responsibilities and duties according to their level of practice.

Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPN/LVN)

Licensed Practical Nurses (or Vocational Nurses) represent frontline roles who provide fundamental patient care, from checking vital signs to assisting in DLA, and providing basic comfort measures. In some instances, they may also administer medications while under supervision. 

The central difference between LPNs and other higher-level nurses is the level of workplace autonomy. Advanced practice roles, as well as those of RNs, offer relatively higher independence, allowing them to fulfill nursing responsibilities and duties that emerge from practicing without constant and direct supervision and guidance.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs)

Advanced practice roles differ from those of RNs in that their scope of practice, duties, and responsibilities involve specialized areas of care. They assume expanded roles in various settings, including both clinical and non-clinical contexts. Roles such as Family Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwives, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, or Nurse Educators are qualified to fulfill more restricted but also more advanced roles. Consequently, their nursing responsibilities and duties diverge significantly from those of lower-level nurses and within the broader pool of APRNs and NPs. 

Autonomy in practice is also higher, emerging from extensive training and education. Advanced practice nurses can often access and assume leadership, managerial, and administrative roles in various work settings.

The scope of practice for APRNs and NPs is closely tied to the educational path they choose, particularly in their selection of graduate programs. Find out more about the types of Master’s in Nursing programs and what they prepare you for.

At Nightingale College, you can advance your education and access advanced practice roles via three different CCNE-accredited academic programs:

• MSN FNP – The choice recommended if you want to take on duties and responsibilities that involve taking care of patients of varying ages, as well as educating communities and promoting healthcare standards.
• MSN Ed – An academic path that prepares you to take on responsibilities in learning programs and in preparing the next generation of nurses.
• MSN PMHNP – Recommended if you want to work in mental health and psychiatric care settings and adopt their specific scope of practice.

Recognizing that quality education is a key factor in expanding the scope of practice in nursing, we strive to support our learners in achieving their career objectives most flexibly by combining online instruction with in-person seminars and preceptorship experiences.

Explore our graduate academic programs, advance your career, and improve your scope of practice!

Work Settings and Specialized Roles of a Nurse

Beyond accreditation and level of practice, the setting in which you will work will significantly influence your duties and responsibilities. With more advanced and specialized education, new avenues will become available, allowing your work to diverge into various areas of expertise.

Here are the most popular work settings and the scope of practice related to them:

• General and Surgical Hospitals: Approximately 1,956,900 Registered Nurses and 76,810 Nurse Practitioners work in general and surgical hospitals, making up the largest group of nursing professionals in the industry. Hospital nurse roles are fast-paced and involve providing acute care, administering medication, and monitoring patients post-surgery. 
• Clinics and Primary Care: Nursing professionals working in physicians’ offices, clinics, and primary care facilities have a scope of work that is focused on routine exams, preventive care, and patient education.
• Critical Care, Intensive Care, and Emergency Units: Professionals working in critical care, intensive care, and emergency room units, including ICU nurses, Emergency Room (ER) nurses, or Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) nurses, are tasked with monitoring unstable patients, performing rapid interventions, and operating advanced equipment.
• Community, Hospice, and Home Health: Professionals such as Home Health nurses or Public Health nurses are responsible for providing care, education, and follow-ups to patients in their homes or local health centers. Around 187,670 Registered Nurses and 1,570 Nurse Practitioners work in this field. Hospice nurses have to provide comfort-focused end-of-life care for patients suffering from terminal conditions. Other roles, such as geriatric nurses, also frequently involve work in hospice, home health, and palliative care.
• Educational Institutions: There are around 74,250 Nursing Educators, Instructors, Teachers, and other postsecondary faculty who work in academic institutions (community colleges, nursing schools, universities, but also in hospital settings) to provide education to aspiring nurses and prepare the next generation of professionals. Their scope of practice involves curriculum development, teaching and mentorship, as well as program performance evaluation. However, nursing education differs from teaching in many aspects.
• Other Specialized Settings: There are numerous specialized settings with distinct scopes of practice and responsibilities. Psychiatric Nurses and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners provide care and support to patients with mental health and psychiatric conditions. Operating Room (OR) or perioperative nurses assist with surgeries, while oncology nurses support patients with cancer. Neonatal care (NICU) nurses, on the other hand, are tasked with caring for premature or critically ill infants and newborns. There are also many non-standard nursing jobs, including military nurses, occupational health nurses, forensic nurses, or school nurses, that happen outside traditional clinical environments. Travel nurses are a distinct category of professionals who work in settings with notable staff shortages, performing a variety of tasks and duties.

• Management and Leadership Settings: With the appropriate level of education and preparation, nursing professionals can advance to administrative, managerial, and leadership roles, where they are responsible for coordinating diverse teams and optimizing healthcare delivery. Such roles include nurse case managers, nurse administrators, chief nursing officers, and directors of nursing.

• Research and Consultancy: Some nursing professionals work in fields adjacent to clinical practice, often involving research (such as research nurses) or consultancy (legal nurse consultants).

Work Environment and Schedules

While most nursing roles involve a 9-to-5 schedule, many nurses face demanding schedules and work obligations, including 8-, 10-, or 12-hour shifts, as well as nights, weekends, and holidays. Most nurses working in clinical contexts balance long hours and physical demands, which often leads to high levels of stress, exhaustion, and burnout. Although stakeholders are taking an active role in improving the working conditions of nurses, irregular and demanding schedules, as well as hectic clinical environments, are part of the scope of practice for most nursing professions.

However, there are also notable exceptions, particularly in the case of work-from-home nursing jobs, alternative nursing careers, and low-stress nursing occupations.

Opportunities, Career Growth, and Education

The nursing profession offers many opportunities for growth, specialization, and advancement, regardless of whether you are just now entering the field or looking to take the next step in your career.

Advanced education expands a nurse’s scope of practice and improves the nursing duties and responsibilities they will have to fulfill in their prospective career. Earning a Master of Science in Nursing is the principal way to advance your education, practical experience, and career prospects beyond the horizon of registered nursing.

At Nightingale College, we offer CCNE-accredited MSN programs designed for working nurses seeking to advance their education while balancing work and life commitments. The flexible programs blend online instruction with in-person seminars and clinical experiences, empowering learners to advance their careers without pausing them. 

Whether your goal is to become a Family Nurse Practitioner, shape the future of Nursing Education, or provide specialized care as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Nightingale College will support your career advancement journey every step of the way.

Continuing education and certification are essential tools for staying current with emerging trends, technologies, and standards. Lifelong learning is deeply ingrained in the culture of nursing, enabling professionals to evolve in tandem with the changing healthcare profession.

Explore our academic programs, advance your education, and improve your scope of practice!