Who are the members of the nursing team and what are their duties?

September 27, 2025 •

4 min read

With over 3 million registered nurses in the United States alone, the nursing profession is a vast and intricate network of dedicated professionals. Understanding who are the members of the nursing team and what are their duties is crucial for patients and aspiring healthcare workers alike, as each role contributes to comprehensive patient care.

Quick Summary

A nursing team includes registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), each with distinct duties ranging from basic patient care and monitoring to advanced clinical assessment and management.

Key Points

CNA duties: The certified nursing assistant provides essential daily care, including help with bathing, dressing, and monitoring vital signs, all under supervision.
LPN/LVN responsibilities: Licensed practical nurses offer skilled bedside care, such as wound care and medication administration, while working under the direction of an RN or physician.
RN's role: The registered nurse coordinates patient care, develops treatment plans, educates patients, and supervises other nursing staff members.
APRN authority: Advanced Practice Registered Nurses have a master's degree or higher, allowing them to diagnose conditions, prescribe medication, and specialize in advanced clinical areas.
Teamwork is key: The entire nursing team relies on communication and collaboration, with duties delegated according to each member's specific education, licensure, and scope of practice.
Levels of supervision: The degree of independence and supervision varies significantly within the nursing team, from CNAs who are always supervised to APRNs who possess a high degree of autonomy.
Patient-centered approach: All nursing team members, regardless of their role, are focused on promoting patient well-being, educating patients and families, and ensuring a positive healthcare experience.

The nursing team is a multi-layered group of licensed and unlicensed staff who work collaboratively under a structured hierarchy to provide holistic care for patients. From routine daily tasks to complex treatment planning, each member plays a distinct and vital role in ensuring a patient's health, safety, and comfort. The team's structure is designed to maximize efficiency and provide a high standard of care by utilizing the specialized skills of each professional.

The Core Hierarchy: From Assistants to Advanced Practice

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): The Foundation of Daily Care

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), often supervised by LPNs and RNs, are the front-line caregivers who provide essential support for a patient's activities of daily living (ADLs). They are the closest point of contact for many patients and are therefore critical to monitoring their well-being. Their duties include:

Assisting patients with bathing, dressing, and using the toilet.
Helping with patient mobility, including turning, repositioning, and transferring patients to and from beds.
Monitoring and accurately recording vital signs, such as blood pressure and temperature.
Serving meals and documenting a patient's food and liquid intake.
Providing emotional support and communicating patient concerns to the nursing staff.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN): Bedside Care Specialists

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) in some states like California and Texas, bridge the gap between CNAs and RNs. They provide more technical bedside care and work under the supervision of a registered nurse or physician. LPNs are responsible for:

Monitoring patients' overall health and performing ongoing vital sign checks.
Administering medications and treatments as prescribed by a physician.
Performing wound care and changing dressings.
Collecting samples for laboratory testing.
Reinforcing patient education that has been provided by the registered nurse.

Registered Nurse (RN): The Care Coordinators

Registered Nurses (RNs) are the backbone of clinical patient management, often serving as the team leader. They conduct comprehensive patient assessments, develop care plans, and collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals to ensure coordinated care. An RN's duties are broad and varied:

Assessing and recording a patient's medical history and symptoms.
Developing, implementing, and evaluating patient care plans.
Administering medications and performing more complex medical treatments.
Educating patients and their families on managing illnesses and post-treatment care.
Supervising and delegating tasks to LPNs and CNAs.
Operating and monitoring complex medical equipment.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN): The Clinical Experts

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are registered nurses with graduate-level education who possess a higher level of clinical expertise and autonomy. They often specialize in a particular area of medicine. Depending on state regulations, they can perform many duties similar to a physician, such as:

Diagnosing and treating illnesses.
Prescribing medications.
Ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests.
Serving as primary care providers or specialized consultants.
Providing advanced patient counseling and education. Common APRN roles include Nurse Practitioners (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM), and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA).

Delegation and Teamwork: A Cohesive Approach

Effective teamwork is founded on proper delegation, where the RN, as the team leader, carefully assigns tasks to other team members. The delegation process ensures tasks are completed efficiently and safely by the most appropriate person. The 'five rights' of delegation are a key framework that guides this process:

Right Task: Can the task be delegated at all, according to facility policy and state law?
Right Circumstance: Is the patient's condition stable and is the environment suitable for delegation?
Right Person: Is the individual (LPN or CNA) competent and trained to perform the task safely?
Right Direction/Communication: Is the instruction clear, concise, and complete, including timelines and expected outcomes?
Right Supervision/Evaluation: Does the delegator provide appropriate oversight and follow up on the task's completion and patient outcome?

The Collaborative Effort in Practice


Member	Education & Certification	Supervision	Key Duties
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)	State-approved training program & competency exam	Works under the supervision of an LPN or RN	Basic patient care, ADLs (bathing, feeding), measuring vital signs
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN)	State-approved practical nursing program & NCLEX-PN exam	Works under the supervision of an RN or physician	Monitoring vitals, basic care, wound dressings, medication administration (state-dependent)
Registered Nurse (RN)	Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Nursing & NCLEX-RN exam	Independent practice, leads nursing team, collaborates with physicians	Comprehensive patient assessment, care planning, patient education, medication administration
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)	Master's or Doctoral degree in Nursing	High degree of autonomy, can diagnose and prescribe medication	Advanced diagnosis, treatment, prescribing, specialized care

Conclusion: The Synergy of Patient Care

The different members of the nursing team and their duties are carefully structured to provide efficient and comprehensive patient care. From the vital daily support offered by CNAs to the advanced clinical decision-making of APRNs, each role is indispensable. The coordinated effort, led by the RN, ensures that patients receive continuous, high-quality care that addresses their physical, emotional, and educational needs throughout their healthcare journey. This team-based model is not only efficient but also fosters an environment of mutual support and professional growth within the healthcare setting. To learn more about the nursing profession and its many facets, visit the Mayo Clinic website for healthcare careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary difference lies in their scope of practice and level of autonomy. An RN conducts comprehensive patient assessments, develops care plans, and supervises LPNs and CNAs. An LPN provides more basic bedside care and must always work under the supervision of an RN or physician.

Generally, CNAs do not administer medication. Their role focuses on assisting with activities of daily living and monitoring basic health indicators. Medication administration falls under the scope of practice for licensed nurses, such as LPNs and RNs.

Yes, an APRN can typically prescribe medication. This is a key distinction from an RN and reflects the advanced graduate-level training an APRN receives, although specific prescribing authority can vary by state.

The Registered Nurse (RN) is typically responsible for delegating tasks to other members of the nursing team, such as LPNs and CNAs. This delegation must be done carefully and align with a standardized framework to ensure patient safety.

The education path varies significantly. CNAs complete a short state-approved program. LPNs complete a practical nursing program (about one year). RNs can earn an Associate's or Bachelor's degree. APRNs must obtain a Master's or Doctoral degree in nursing.

Communication is crucial. Team members record observations and patient progress in electronic health records (EHRs). They also communicate directly with one another and with physicians during shifts to relay critical information.

A CNA is trained to observe and report any significant changes in a patient's condition to the supervising nurse immediately. This reporting is a critical part of their role in helping to maintain patient safety.

Teamwork is vital for ensuring comprehensive and coordinated care. Each member brings a different skill set and level of expertise, and by working together, they can address all of a patient's needs efficiently, from basic daily assistance to complex medical treatments.