Graduate Profile

Role and Functions of a Nurse

• Care giver
• Decision maker
• Client advocate
• Manager
• Rehabilitator
• Communicator
• Educator

After going through this program the graduates are expected to perform the following functions in the areas of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

• Provide basic physical care for patients with self care deficit and altered physiological functions in any clinical specialty and at home;
• Use critical thinking (Collects and analyzes relevant data, establishes priorities, makes appropriate decisions for implementation, raises questions and makes assumptions);
• Communicates effectively, both verbally and in writing. (Includes individual and small group interaction, written communication, presentations, and patient documentations);
• Use the nursing process as framework for nursing care practice, which promotes maintains and /restore optimum function of clients for individual, family and Community at all ages in a variety of health care settings. (Based on principles and theories from nursing, humanities, social, natural, and behavioral sciences);
• Apply ethical principles in professional practice and undertake evidence-based practice in client care;
• Guide, counsel and teach patients in psychiatric/mental health units and other health care settings;
• Demonstrate nursing leadership and management skills in all settings. (Assumes leadership role among peers, acts as client advocates, initiates action to improve health care, collaborates. delegates and supervises).
• Function as a leader and change agent concerning standards and quality of nursing in the nation;
• Diagnose and manage common minor health ailments in the community (including emergencies and current issues such as HIV/AIDS) and refer cases when needed; identify and provide primary care in serious diseases of adults and childhood disorders, taking account of their physical, emotional and social aspects.
• Function effectively as a member of a primary/community heath care team, and in inter-sectoral collaboration;
• Examine pregnant mothers in the antenatal program, detect high risk cases, document findings and provide care based on the assessment
• Conduct normal delivery and refer high risks or those with complications of pregnancy or labor;
• Manage and participate in MCH clinics practice particularly in the under 5 clinics, immunization, family planning, nutrition, and dehydration unit;
• Promote planned change to improve health care delivery system in any health setting (Participates in inter-disciplinary collaboration, influence policy development);
• Works effectively as a team member in the operating room as scrub, circulating nurse, and in organizing the operating room theatre.
• Participate in the conduct of need based research in the identified problem areas in the hospital, community or school settings and utilizes the research findings as evidence based to improve the quality of care provided to the client;
• Demonstrate awareness of own values and beliefs and respect for the rights and beliefs of others (Responsible for own learning and for awareness of own strength and limitations. Appreciates the importance of cultural influences on life style and health practices);
• Participate in the development of nursing curriculum including the design, implementation and evaluation processes of curriculum change as a whole and to specific course. (State philosophical statements, goals, objectives, contents, organization and evaluation)
• Apply all the various methodological skills in the teaching, learning, and evaluation techniques in the school of nursing;
• Demonstrate the need for continuing learning for personal and professional enrichment.
• Actively participate individually or with the team in the disease prevention and control at various level

As Professional nurse in any health related institutions, the BSc Nurses will be employed as:

• Patient caring in any specialty wards or in outpatient departments in the hospital as well as in the health center as members of the health team (physical and physiological care);
• Maternity areas for antenatal, labor, and postnatal care of mothers and MCH nurse care provider;
• Guidance and counseling as well as health educator;
• Teaching in the school of nursing as graduate assistant and above;
• Management area in the nursing service in hospitals, health centers, and school of nursing;
• Diagnosing and treating common health problems at primary health care level;
• Nursing research;
• Woreda, and regional health departmental bureaus as coordinator related with nursing activities;