It takes a village. A common phrase when speaking of raising kids. I believe it also applies to nursing. Nurses have many roles in healthcare. More than the departments that they work in: emergency room, ICU, home health. Hospital workers have unique personalities that join together and create a community.

There is no one-size-fits-all for nursing. While some patients and family members may prefer one type of nurse, it is not fair to say that one style is better.

Let’s discuss the various types of nurses.

The Talker

One who enjoys talking to the patient and family. He spends time in the room chatting for enjoyment. The members gets to know him personally because information exchange goes both ways; the worker gets to know the group, and the family gets to know the nurse.

The Curious One

This relationship seems like an interview of the patient and the household. She delights in discovering who everyone is and their background. She is a great listener and often helps families feel heard. These nurses are a wonderful resource when families are upset because they can de-escalate the situation.

The Doer

An ideal tasker. These nurses get things done despite the situation. They are mission-oriented and efficient. They can juggle multiple requests at a time and are helpful when a chore requires extra hands. In my experience, when a drowning victim enters the hospital and the outcome is not positive, many caretakers struggle. The doer is the one at the bedside doing patient care. These individuals can focus on the task and not get emotional.

The Crier

An empathic team member who cries with the family. When I tell people I am a pediatric nurse, they reply, “That is so hard. I cry too much to be a nurse.” My response to them is, “It takes every kind of nurse.” If a kid has a poor outcome and is not leaving the hospital, the parents feel shock. The crier is the person who sits with the group and cries with them. Families feel support and not alone when a healthcare worker takes time to experience sadness with them. When relatives have to say their final goodbyes to their children, they experience community when employees cry with them. Families also acknowledge how much love is present when nurses shed tears with them.

The Spa Day

Spa day nurses make clients feel and smell pretty using shampoos, conditioners, skin products, music, and more. They make bath time fun. It is a challenge to get patients into a bathtub due to monitor lines, medication lines, and oxygen tubing that cannot get wet. Water can be painful for those with sensitive skin. Hygiene is important to prevent infection. The spa day nurse enjoys making bathtime fun with music, singing, and patience. They make the room smell great. Most important, is making the patients feel good in their bodies during illness.

The Charge

A big boss. The main entity responsible for ensuring that the unit runs as smoothly as possible. He communicates with the other units, providers, and administrators. This supervisor needs to know who is discharging from and who is admitting to the floor. He has a bird’s eye view of the unit and hospital. While this nurse is not performing active patient care, the hospital cannot function without a charge nurse to help navigate patient movement, ensure safe staffing, and advocate up the chain of command as needs arise. Charge nurses have important roles in healthcare.

The Resource

A life-saving extra set of hands for bedside staff, patients, and family members. Not every hospital is able to support this function. This nurse does not have a patient assignment. Instead, they are a benefit to the entire unit. They assist with transfers, admissions, tests, procedures, and lunch breaks. Without this resource, bedside nurses skip lunches and struggle with completing tasks that require more hands.

Nurses do not fit into only one category. Workers will flow in and out of the different styles. Depending on the shift, time of day, and needs of the patient, people can alternate roles. Nurses tend to lean towards one type of style depending on their innate personality.

It takes a village of staff to take care of a patient. Nurses have their roles in healthcare. Each one has a unique skill set that benefits the hospital.

As a patient and family member, be understanding of your nurse.

As a nurse or future nurse, do not think that you must be a certain way. It takes a community.

Editor: Claudia Cramer