The 'ideal' and 'real' role of a nurse in the hospital: doctors' perception

The Health team that provides treatment to the patients in a hospital consists of doctors on the curative side and nurses on the care side. Of the two, the role performance of the nurse is crucial since she is responsible for not only providing comprehensive nursing care to the patients but also associated functionally with the doctor in the recovery of the patient. The efficiency of her role performance therefore depends to a large extent on the role perception of the doctor. Hence the present study. The study was made in King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam, selecting a sample of 60 doctors. The findings of the study revealed that as an important role-set member, the doctor's perception of nurses' role is very much relevant and essential for the efficient role performance of the latter.