3 Role of General
Duty Assistant for
Inpatient Care
Introduction
Development of nursing care as a profession has
references in the Indian history. Evidences suggest Lord
Buddha took services of nuns for providing nursing care
to patients. References of detailed qualities of a nurse
in Charaka Samhita, Astanga Hridaya and Sushrata
Samhita stand to explain the nobility of the
profession. The pioneering efforts of Florence
Nightingale were instrumental in the extensive
development of nursing as a career.
Inpatient services provide for continuous
care to patients, requiring at least an
overnight stay in a hospital. A patient is referred
for hospitalisation in case of emergencies,
planned hospitalisation or ambulatory care
(discharge on the same day). The roles of a
Fig. 3.1 Inpatient ward reception counter
General Duty Assistant, serving for inpatient
facilities, include the following:
• planning and organising the unit
• nursing care
• assistance in housekeeping and sanitation
• transportation of patients and specimens
• participating in ward management, post-mortem
care, etc.
Unit 3.indd 41 10-03-2021 16:08:50
, The services to be offered by the GDA may be
medical, surgical, acute care, mental health treatment
or invasive procedures. The duties of the GDA
during hospitalisation include recording health-related
information of a patient, shifting her/him to a room,
aiding in personal care activities, ensuring basic
comforts for stay, informing the nursing staff about the
condition of the patient, cleaning the equipment, and
above all, ensuring the patient’s welfare till discharge.
Hence, the GDA will function in many departments, for
example, clinical, nursing, laboratory, dietary, laundry,
housekeeping, sanitation, etc. The duties may vary
according to the situation. The GDA plays a significant
role in providing the right care to patients.
The sessions included in the unit explain the skills
required by a GDA for performing related tasks. The tasks
include providing support for personal care, identifying
the vital signs, making bed for the patient and care for
the body after death. These require the GDA to act in
a way, considering the psychological needs of patients
and their caretakers.
Session 1: Role of General Duty Assistant
during the Admission of Patients
In this session, you will learn about the
procedures followed in a hospital from the time
of admission till discharge. You are aware of the
physical examination procedures performed
and the role of a General Duty Assistant to
assist in related activities. The GDA provides
support to professionals working in the field
of patient care. The GDA helps in managing
the front office, handling emergency services,
maintaining hygiene and also performs various
Fig. 3.2 A GDA assisting in patient care other duties, which contribute to the better
at a hospital
functioning of a hospital.
Admission of patients
Admission of a patient means arranging a stay in the
hospital for observation, investigations and treatment
General Duty Assistant – Class XI
42
Unit 3.indd 42 23-08-2018 10:22:51
, of the disease. The patient can either be admitted
to a hospital for emergency or just routine check-
up. Emergency admission means that the patient is
admitted in acute conditions, requiring immediate
treatment, e.g., patients with heart attack, accidents,
acute appendicitis, poisoning, labour pain, diarrhoea,
dysentery, hyperpyrexia, haematemesis, dyspnoea,
shock, etc.
In emergency admissions, every moment is precious.
Therefore, the patient must be admitted to the casualty
department or emergency ward without any delay and
the treatment must be initiated immediately to save
her/his life. Routine admission means that the patient
is admitted for investigations and planned treatments,
e.g., patients with hypertension, diabetes, chronic
appen dicitis, jaundice, hernia, cirrhosis of liver, chronic
renal failure, nephritis, bronchitis, etc.
Recording personal and medical data of patients
The clerk in the record section is responsible for recording
certain data that are essential for the identification of a
patient. The clerk may ask questions to the patient or
her/his family members to get the name, address, age,
gender, religion, occupation, income, marital status,
address, telephone number and name and address of
the nearest relative.
The information is recorded in the outpatient record.
Patients, who are too ill to answer the questions, must
be admitted immediately and the necessary information
must be obtained from their family or friends present in
the hospital.
In order to provide appropriate and adequate services,
and to give immediate care, it is necessary to know the
diagnosis or suspected diagnosis, the duration of illness
and the name of the physician who has been referred
to. This can be obtained by asking relevant questions to
the patient. The patient is given an outpatient number,
for future reference. Further necessary directions are
given to proceed for consulting a doctor.
Role of General Duty Assistant for Inpatient Care
43
Unit 3.indd 43 23-08-2018 10:22:51
Duty Assistant for
Inpatient Care
Introduction
Development of nursing care as a profession has
references in the Indian history. Evidences suggest Lord
Buddha took services of nuns for providing nursing care
to patients. References of detailed qualities of a nurse
in Charaka Samhita, Astanga Hridaya and Sushrata
Samhita stand to explain the nobility of the
profession. The pioneering efforts of Florence
Nightingale were instrumental in the extensive
development of nursing as a career.
Inpatient services provide for continuous
care to patients, requiring at least an
overnight stay in a hospital. A patient is referred
for hospitalisation in case of emergencies,
planned hospitalisation or ambulatory care
(discharge on the same day). The roles of a
Fig. 3.1 Inpatient ward reception counter
General Duty Assistant, serving for inpatient
facilities, include the following:
• planning and organising the unit
• nursing care
• assistance in housekeeping and sanitation
• transportation of patients and specimens
• participating in ward management, post-mortem
care, etc.
Unit 3.indd 41 10-03-2021 16:08:50
, The services to be offered by the GDA may be
medical, surgical, acute care, mental health treatment
or invasive procedures. The duties of the GDA
during hospitalisation include recording health-related
information of a patient, shifting her/him to a room,
aiding in personal care activities, ensuring basic
comforts for stay, informing the nursing staff about the
condition of the patient, cleaning the equipment, and
above all, ensuring the patient’s welfare till discharge.
Hence, the GDA will function in many departments, for
example, clinical, nursing, laboratory, dietary, laundry,
housekeeping, sanitation, etc. The duties may vary
according to the situation. The GDA plays a significant
role in providing the right care to patients.
The sessions included in the unit explain the skills
required by a GDA for performing related tasks. The tasks
include providing support for personal care, identifying
the vital signs, making bed for the patient and care for
the body after death. These require the GDA to act in
a way, considering the psychological needs of patients
and their caretakers.
Session 1: Role of General Duty Assistant
during the Admission of Patients
In this session, you will learn about the
procedures followed in a hospital from the time
of admission till discharge. You are aware of the
physical examination procedures performed
and the role of a General Duty Assistant to
assist in related activities. The GDA provides
support to professionals working in the field
of patient care. The GDA helps in managing
the front office, handling emergency services,
maintaining hygiene and also performs various
Fig. 3.2 A GDA assisting in patient care other duties, which contribute to the better
at a hospital
functioning of a hospital.
Admission of patients
Admission of a patient means arranging a stay in the
hospital for observation, investigations and treatment
General Duty Assistant – Class XI
42
Unit 3.indd 42 23-08-2018 10:22:51
, of the disease. The patient can either be admitted
to a hospital for emergency or just routine check-
up. Emergency admission means that the patient is
admitted in acute conditions, requiring immediate
treatment, e.g., patients with heart attack, accidents,
acute appendicitis, poisoning, labour pain, diarrhoea,
dysentery, hyperpyrexia, haematemesis, dyspnoea,
shock, etc.
In emergency admissions, every moment is precious.
Therefore, the patient must be admitted to the casualty
department or emergency ward without any delay and
the treatment must be initiated immediately to save
her/his life. Routine admission means that the patient
is admitted for investigations and planned treatments,
e.g., patients with hypertension, diabetes, chronic
appen dicitis, jaundice, hernia, cirrhosis of liver, chronic
renal failure, nephritis, bronchitis, etc.
Recording personal and medical data of patients
The clerk in the record section is responsible for recording
certain data that are essential for the identification of a
patient. The clerk may ask questions to the patient or
her/his family members to get the name, address, age,
gender, religion, occupation, income, marital status,
address, telephone number and name and address of
the nearest relative.
The information is recorded in the outpatient record.
Patients, who are too ill to answer the questions, must
be admitted immediately and the necessary information
must be obtained from their family or friends present in
the hospital.
In order to provide appropriate and adequate services,
and to give immediate care, it is necessary to know the
diagnosis or suspected diagnosis, the duration of illness
and the name of the physician who has been referred
to. This can be obtained by asking relevant questions to
the patient. The patient is given an outpatient number,
for future reference. Further necessary directions are
given to proceed for consulting a doctor.
Role of General Duty Assistant for Inpatient Care
43
Unit 3.indd 43 23-08-2018 10:22:51
