Registered Nurse (Acute Care)
What the work is
Plans, coordinates and provides nursing care and services to people in a hospital setting or as part of a retrieval service.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Develops and implements nursing care plans to provide direct clinical care in a hospital setting
- Assesses and monitors the condition of people, and prepares people for surgery or treatment
- Administers and monitors medication and fluids
- Assists with diagnostic tests and procedures, as well as interpreting test results and reports
- Provides emotional support and comfort to people and their families
- Educates people and their families about health conditions and treatment options
- Maintains accurate and up-to-date records of patient information, including vital signs, medications and treatments
- Responds to emergency situations, and provides immediate care and interventions
- May operate and monitor specialised medical equipment such as ventilators and cardiac monitors
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a busy medical ward at a fictional regional hospital. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A patient who was frightened at breakfast goes home understanding their care
- You spot a small change early, speak up and the team acts on it
- A shift where the team backs each other and everyone gets a break
Hard days
- More patients need you at once than you can reach, and you have to prioritise
- A family is upset, and you are the person standing in front of them
- Night shifts, weekends and paperwork still waiting at the end of a long day
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 265432, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.