National Occupation Code (NOC): 3012

This unit group includes registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses and graduates of a nursing program who are awaiting registration (graduate nurses). They provide direct nursing care to patients, deliver health education programs and provide consultative services regarding issues relevant to the practice of nursing. They are employed in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors' offices, clinics, community agencies, companies, private homes and public and private organizations or they may be self-employed.

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Job Duties for Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses

General duty registered nurses

• Assess patients to identify appropriate nursing interventions
• Collaborate with members of an interdisciplinary health team to plan, implement, co-ordinate and evaluate patient care in consultation with patients and their families
• Administer medications and treatments as prescribed by a physician or according to established policies and protocols
• Monitor, assess, address, document and report symptoms and changes in patients' conditions
• Operate or monitor medical apparatus or equipment
• Assist in surgery and other medical procedures
• May supervise licensed practical nurses and other nursing staff
• May develop and implement discharge planning process on admission of patients
• May teach and counsel patients and their families on health-related issues in collaboration with other health care providers.

Occupational health nurses

• Develop and implement employee health education programs and provide registered nursing care in private businesses and industry.

Community health nurses

• Provide health education and registered nursing care in public health units and through home visits, manage complex home care cases, participate in community needs assessment and program development, conduct disease screening and deliver immunization programs.

Psychiatric nurses

• Provide nursing care, supportive counselling and life skills programming to patients in psychiatric hospitals, mental health clinics, long-term care facilities and community-based settings.

Nursing consultants

• Provide consultative services to institutes, associations and health care organizations regarding issues and concerns relevant to the nursing profession and nursing practice.

Nursing researchers

• Engaged in research activities related to nursing, as self-employed or as employed by hospitals, public and private organizations and governments.

Clinical nurses

• Provide leadership, advice and counsel on the provision of research-based care for specific patient groups within the care of particular health care organizations.

Registered nurses may specialize in areas such as surgery, obstetrics care, psychiatric care, critical care, pediatrics, geriatrics, community health, occupational health, emergency care, rehabilitation or oncology.

Working Conditions for Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses

Nurses mainly work in health-care facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, residential facilities, and doctor’s offices as independent practitioners or team members. Community and public health nurses travel to patients’ homes, schools, businesses, community centres, or other sites. Most Nurses work 8 to 12 hour shifts, usually on rotation, including weekends, evenings, nights, and holidays. On average, full-time Nurses work 36 to 40 hours per week and part-time work is quite common. Nurses use lifting devices and follow safety procedures to reduce the risk of workplace injuries and illness. New technologies and policies have resulted in a patient’s reduced length of stay (i.e. more day surgeries are performed), which adds to the workload. Nurses have to cope with the emotional aspects of working with the sick, injured and terminally ill, as well as patients’ families.

Alternate Job Titles

• Ambulatory Care Nurse
• Bedside Nurse
• Burn Patient Care Nurse
• Burn Victim Care Nurse
• Cardiac Surgery Nurse
• Cardiology Nurse
• Cardiology Nurse Technician
• Casual Duty Nurse
• Circulating Nurse
• Clinic Nurse
• Clinical Nurse
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Community Health Nurse
• Consultant Nurse
• Contagious Disease Transmission Prevention Nurse
• Coronary Intensive Care Nurse
• Coronary Unit Nurse
• Critical Care Nurse
• Dialysis Nurse
• Doctor's Office Nurse
• Emergency Care Nurse
• Emergency Nurse
• First Aid Nurse
• Float Nurse
• General Duty Nurse
• General Duty Nurse - Psychiatry
• Geriatric Care Nurse
• Geriatric Nurse
• Gerontology Nurse
• Graduate Nurse
• Graduate Nurse - Doctor's Office
• Graduate Nurse - Occupational Health
• Graduate Nurse - Physician's Office
• Graduate Private Duty Nurse
• Hemodialysis Nurse
• Home Care Neuroscience Nurse
• Home Care Nurse
• Hospital Hygiene Nurse
• Hospital Hygienist - Nursing
• Hospital Nurse
• ICU (intensive Care Unit) Nurse
• Independent Practice - Registered Nurse
• Industrial Nurse
• Infection Control Co-ordinator - Hospital
• Infection Control Nurse
• Infection Control Officer - Hospital
• Infection Control Officer - Medical
• Infection Surveillance Nurse
• Intensive Care Nurse
• Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse
• Liaison Nurse
• Medical Intensive Care Nurse
• Mental Health Nurse
• Nephrology And Kidney Transplantation Nurse
• Nephrology And Renal Transplantation Nurse
• Nephrology Nurse
• Neuroscience Nurse
• Nurse - Birthing Room
• Nurse Consultant
• Nurse Counsellor
• Nurse Researcher
• Nurse Technician
• Nursing Adviser
• Nursing Consultant
• Nursing Counsellor
• Nursing Evaluator
• Nursing Researcher
• Nursing Researcher - Nurse
• Nursing Technician
• Obstetrics Nurse
• Occupational Health Nurse
• Occupational Health Nurse Consultant
• Occupational Medicine Nurse
• Office Nurse
• On-call Nurse
• Oncology Nurse
• Operating Room (OR) Nurse
• OR (operating Room) Nurse
• Out-patient Clinic Nurse
• Outpost Nurse
• Outreach Nurse
• Palliative Care Nurse
• Pediatric Intensive Care Nurse
• Pediatric Nurse
• Perinatal Care Nurse
• Physician's Office Nurse
• Primary Care Nurse
• Primary Nurse
• Private Care Nurse
• Private Duty Nurse
• Psychiatric And Mental Health Nurse
• Psychiatric Nurse
• Public And Community Health Nurse
• Public Health Nurse
• Public Health Nurse Consultant
• Recovery Room Nurse
• Red Cross Nurse
• Registered Community Health Nurse
• Registered Industrial Nurse
• Registered Nurse - Call Centre
• Registered Nurse - Contact Centre
• Registered Nurse - Independent Practice
• Registered Nurse - Public And Community Health
• Registered Nurse - Telehealth
• Registered Nurse (R.N.)
• Registered Psychiatric Nurse (R.P.N.)
• Registered Public Health Nurse
• Respiratory Care Nurse
• Respiratory Nurse Specialist
• RN (registered Nurse)
• RPN (registered Psychiatric Nurse)
• School Health Nurse
• School Nurse
• Scrub Nurse
• Staff Nurse
• Surgical Intensive Care Nurse
• Telehealth Registered Nurse
• Tele-nurse
• Triage Nurse
• Victoria Order Nurse
• Victorian Order Of Nurses (VON) Nurse
• Visiting Nurse
• VON (Victorian Order Of Nurses) Nurse
• Ward Nurse
• Youth Centre Nurse
• Clinical Nurse
• Community Health Nurse
• Critical Care Nurse
• Emergency Care Nurse
• Intensive Care Nurse
• Nurse Researcher
• Nursing Consultant
• Occupational Health Nurse
• Private Duty Nurse
• Public Health Nurse
• Registered Nurse (R.N.)
• Registered Psychiatric Nurse (R.P.N.)
• Infection Control Officer - Medical