How Often Will I Work on a Team as a Nurse?

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The answer to this question comes down to the type of nurse you plan to become. Most work in groups, meaning they work together with a nursing team, as well as physicians and medical specialists to treat patients. In some cases, however, jobs exist where nurses work alone or without the help of other nurses during their shifts. Let’s take a look at both scenarios.

The Nursing Team Career

Based on a 2013 report from the Department of Health and Human Services, 63 percent of RNs work in hospitals, which means that they provide inpatient and outpatient care as part of a nursing team. In an environment where patients come in for a wide variety of issues, nurses will work together to assess, treat and care for patients with the input of other health care professionals. Though the majority of RNs work in hospitals, there are other settings where nurses also work together, such as nursing homes.

The overall definition of a “nursing team” is nurses working together toward a common goal. This basically means that nurses will rotate shifts, help care for some of the same patients and assist each other as needed during their time on the floor. The nursing team may consist of several RNs or RNs and LPNs or RNs, LPNs and APRNs (Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) working together in collaboration.

In a hospital-type medical setting, it’s common to work as a team throughout a shift. While nurses may have moments alone with patients, they’ll still collaborate with other medical professionals as the care of that patient continues. Here are a few examples of nursing team careers:

•Emergency Room (ER) Nurses
•Hospice Nurses working in hospitals
•Labor and Delivery Nurses
•Nursing Home Nurses
•Surgical Nurses
•Pediatric Nurses
•Trauma Nurse

In these settings, when the nurses work together as a team with other nurses and members of the medical team, the one who benefits most is the patient.

The Solo Nurse Career

Unlike the ER nurse who must act quickly in response to the patient and other members of the medical team, some nurses work in environments that do not involve the immediate input of other nurses and medical professionals. In these cases, a nurse will act as the sole provider of his or her care and knowledge.

Some careers that don’t always involve working as part of a nursing team include:

•School Nurse
•Home Health Care Nurse
•Nurse Contractor
•Travel Nurse/Flight Nurse
•Parish Nurse

Unless you choose to become a nurse who works alone, or work certain types of hospital night shifts, your job will always include working as part of larger team.