20 Roles and Responsibilities of Orthopedic Nurse

There are some key purposes of orthopedic nursing which are presented below:

1. It deals to correct the deformity.
2. It deals with the correction of the appearance.
3. It deals to control and relieve pain.
4. It deals to increase muscle strength and joint function.
5. It deals to reduce useless limbs.
6. It deals to save the patient life.
7. It deals to reduce invalidism.
8. It deals to reduce infections such as septicemia, gas gangrene, fat embolism, tetanus, etc.
9. It deals with the reduction of injury and illness related to the musculoskeletal system.

Duties and Responsibilities of Orthopedic Nurse:

There are twenty major role and responsibilities of an orthopedic nurse which are discussed in the following:

1. The orthopedic nursing practice facilitates the promotion of wellness and self-care, the maintenance of health, and the prevention of injury and illness in the care of individuals of all ages with degenerative, traumatic, inflammatory, neuromuscular, congenital, metabolic, and oncologic disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
2. The orthopedic nurse diagnoses and treats human responses to actual and potential health problems related to musculoskeletal function.
3. An orthopedic nurse provides quality care to restore the function of the musculoskeletal system and prevention of complications.
4. Participate in peer review to assure competent practice.
5. Designing and implementing systems to evaluate care based on identified criteria.
6. Inform other health professionals and the community about the specialty of orthopedic nursing.
7. Use research findings to clinical practice and contributing to nursing research.
8. Advanced orthopedic nursing practice requires substantial theoretical knowledge and clinical expertise in orthopedic nursing and at least master’s degree preparation.
9. Serve as an educator, mentor, and role model for nursing colleagues, students, and others.
10. The advanced orthopedic nurse may fulfill the roles of direct caregiver, consultant, educator, researcher, administrator, and primary health care provider.
11. Be politically aware and proactive concerning health care issues.
12. The professional orthopedic nurse bases clinical judgment and decision-making on the nursing process, nursing theory and research as well as specific orthopedic knowledge.
13. An orthopedic nurse provides quality care for the promotion of comfort, mobility, and self-care activities.
14. Developing and implementing a plan of care including mutually set goals that are unique to the individual and are evaluated on an ongoing basis.
15. Maintain current orthopedic knowledge through formal and informal education.
16. Participate in professional nursing associations that promote education and professionalism.
17. Apply research findings to clinical practice and contributing to nursing research.
18. The advanced orthopedic nurse provides expert care to individuals diagnosed with musculoskeletal conditions as well as education and support to community groups interested in health promotion and illness or injury prevention.
19. Increase self-esteem, self-efficiency, and self-concept.
20. The professional orthopedic nurse provides direct care or collaborates with other health care professionals to provide appropriate, effective, and efficient care and education by:

• Activity intolerance,
• Disuse syndrome, high risk for,
• Impaired adjustment,
• Impaired physical mobility,
• Impaired skin integrity, high risk for,
• Infection, high risk for,
• Pain (acute),
• Pain (chronic),
• Peripheral neurovascular dysfunction, high risk for,
• Post-trauma response,
• Trauma, high risk of injury,
• Knowledge deficit,
• Self-care deficit,
• High risk for ineffective coping and other nursing diagnoses as identified.

More questions related to this article:

1. Define orthopedic.
2. What do you mean by orthopedic?
3. What do you mean by orthopedic nursing?
4. Define orthopedic nursing.
5. What are the purposes of orthopedic nursing?
6. What are the objects of orthopedic nursing?
7. Mention some key purposes of orthopedic nursing.
8. Mention some key roles of an orthopedic nurse.
9. What are the key roles of an orthopedic nurse?
10. What are the duties of an orthopedics nurse?
11. What are the responsibilities of an orthopedic nurse?