As shift coordinator, her staff would be lost without her. The minute Miller enters the third floor of the hospital the work begins and never ceases. Health histories and physical assessments for new patients need to be completed within an hour after admission. Many patients do not sleep and the nurses answer their calls throughout the night. Patients in critical condition need the nurses' undivided attention.
Death is also an issue.
All of these duties seem to extend beyond a nurse's human capacity. Along with medical care, nursing involves a lot of psychology, Miller said. At night patients can wake up and may be very confused because their families have gone home. The nurses are there to help orient them and make them feel relaxed. At times, patients think that nurses are being too hard on them when they are only doing their job, Miller said.