What Does A Gynaecology Nurse Do?
Due to the broad and complex nature of women's health, there are many sectors that a gynaecological Nurse can work.
Each sector has a different area of expertise required.
Each hospital will have a dedicated women's health ward to look after women who may require inpatient stays or monitoring to manage health concerns.
Gynaecological hospital wards can look after patients pre or post surgery.
They often have their high dependency area, meaning that the gynaecological nurse will need to look after both surgical and medical patients.
Commonly, women with gynaecological cancers are also treated within this specialised environment.
Gynaecological wards can be busy places with a high patient turnover. A Nurse who works on a gynaecological ward will have many responsibilities, often triaging patients as they arrive from community outpatient clinics whilst receiving patients back from major surgery and monitoring acutely unwell patients.
The gynaecological Nurse will play an essential role in assessing and triaging the patient and delivering timely care, ensuring bed availability for potential emergencies.
Gynaecological Nurses also work in outpatient clinics such as early pregnancy, emergency gynaecology and oncology clinics.
These are often located within the hospital and will be staffed by a Dr and a gynaecological Nurse.
Within this setting, the gynaecological Nurse is usually autonomous and will manage the clinic and patient flow independently.
This process would involve patient assessment and referral to a ward or tertiary services if necessary.
It is common for the Nurse to work in between the outpatient clinics and the ward.
There are many women's health clinics in community settings.
These are often sexual and reproductive health specialists and are commonly found in an established primary care setting.
This role is very autonomous for Nurses, and the Nurse usually can make a diagnosis and prescribe the necessary treatment.
The need for extra women's healthcare services is increasing due to the rise in demand for treatments as the awareness of conditions and available treatments increases.
This has prompted a rise in private clinics that can offer the same services either at a cost to the patient or that are run by local charities.
Gynaecology Nurses in private clinics can specialise in sexual health and abortion care and are able to manage a women's health from the point of puberty through to the management of menopause.
In summary, a gynaecological Nurse is responsible for the clinical assessment of a woman as well as advocating for her rights to timely and appropriate healthcare, providing counsel and education of various services available and the management of her care within primary or secondary care environments.
Why Is Gynaecology Important?
Despite women now living longer than men, recent research suggests that globally, women are far more likely to have unmet health needs.
Not only is effective women-centred care vital to deal with the inequalities faced, but it is also important to acknowledge the economic impact of a healthy female population.
Women make up the majority of informal and formal carers. It is easy to see that a preventative and progressive women's health care system is vital.
Women's health is of huge importance.
The female body is complex and requires special care and knowledge in order to manage potential complications related to the menstrual cycle, family planning, gynaecological cancers, reproductive and pelvic health.
The expectation of women has been far surpassed over the last 80 years.
Not only has the average life expectancy increased by over 30 years, but the expectations of what a woman is able to do and will experience within her life have changed.
Most women are leading busy lives and, at some point in their lives, will require specialist care to ensure that they can continue to live healthy and fulfilling lives maximising their present and future health.
Many issues surrounding women and their health have been considered taboo and have rarely been discussed, let alone promoted.
Attitudes towards women's health have evolved, and women can now expect to be able to receive consistent, personalised care.
This enables women to address issues such as chronic pain or heavy bleeding as opposed to just 'getting on with it.
Outdated social norms have previously limited women's access to effective health care.
Now the emphasis on excellent women-centred health care has never been so important.
Access to Screening programmes and prevention of gynaecological diseases means timely intervention, effective treatment and better outcomes.
Women can experience unique health challenges related to their biological make-up.
This can make women more susceptible to certain diseases. It is a woman's right to be able to access services that screen for and prevent these diseases before the woman becomes unwell and requires further, more serious intervention.
Globally, it has been suggested that biased healthcare systems and beliefs prevent women from accessing appropriate and timely medical care.
Therefore, it is crucial for current practitioners to pioneer and champion women's health to improve the rights of women globally.
What Are The Main Duties Of A Gynaecology Nurse?
As well as clinical care of women and management of existing disease, It is the responsibility of the nurse and subsequent health care team to provide education and support regarding healthy lifestyle choices and options.
The Nurse will be the advocate for the woman at all points throughout her healthcare journey, ensuring that her rights and choices of woman are upheld. In a clinical setting, the gynaecological Nurse will continuously assess and evaluate the patient, ensuring she continues to receive effective care.
This may or may not include the prescription and or administration of medications.
Like all other Nurses in all other specialities, the Nurse will work under the NMC and deliver evidence-based care in line with local policy.
Ensuring to include the woman in her healthcare and help her to make decisions about her treatment.
A gynaecological Nurse must be able to empower all patients to make safe and educated choices about their healthcare, ensuring all women feel safe and listened to from the first point of contact with the healthcare system, whether this is primary or secondary care.
What Settings Do Gynaecology Nurses Work In?
There are many settings that Gynaecological Nurses can work in.
Primary care settings include; community-based clinics that focus on sexual and reproductive health, family planning and fertility control services.
These services can take place in GP clinics, privately run facilities or established women's healthcare clinics.
The Royal College of Obstetrics and gynaecologists suggest that these facilities should have open access and be staffed by a specific gynaecological team.
This would, of course, include gynaecological nurses - most likely in autonomous prescribing roles.
There are also private abortion services that are a vital part of choice led women's health care.
These environments require highly skilled and compassionate gynaecological Nurses to work alongside the medical team.
It enables women to make safe and autonomous decisions about their healthcare needs and requirements.
Recent research indicates that women access healthcare services more often than their male counterparts.
This includes a more significant number of inpatient stays, requiring more preventative healthcare and examinations.
“The attitude towards women's healthcare is changing, and it is an exciting time to be pioneering a progressive and dynamic healthcare system designed for all who access it.”
About this contributor
Adult Nurse
I'm a registered nurse specializing in gynaecology and oncology. I have a passion for women's health and health equality. In 2015, I was awarded the Ebola Medal for Service in West Africa in recognition of my work in Sierra Leone during the 2014 Ebola Epidemic. I currently live in Spain where I continues to practice.
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