Teacher:The head nurse's role is one of clinical leadership and continuous responsibility for the over all management of patjent care. To make primary nursing work, the head nurse has to turn all decision-making work for patients to the staff nurses.
    
　　老师：护士长是临床部门的领导之一，她始终对病人的护理负责全面管理。为了更好地开展责任制护理工作，护士长必须把对病人的护理决定权交给护士。 (来源：英语论坛 http://bbs.englishcn.com)

　　Student:What are the head nurse's duty then?

　　学生：那么护士长的责任是什么呢？

　　T:First the head nurse allocates the different patients to different nurses after their admission. On every day shift the head nurse allocates the patients whose primary nurse is off duty to different associate nurses. She has to decide which nurse shall care for which patient. Experience as well as education must be taken into account while considering a nurse's level of expertise in caring for various patients thus to maintain a high standdard of nursing.

　　老师：首先在病人住院之后，护士长把他们按不同的情况分配给不同的护士。每天日班护士长将不在班责任护士的病人分配给副责任护士。她必须考虑决定哪个护士护理哪个病人。考虑护士护理不同病人的专业水平，时护士的资历和经验都应重视。这样才可能保持护理的高标准。

　　S:How does a head nurse support the primary nurse?

　　学生：护士长是怎样支持责任护士的？

　　T:The head nurse is the validator of decisions made by her staff. She is a teacher, a resource person and the quality control supervisor for the whole unit.

　　老师：护士长是保证护士们实现其护理计划的人。她既是老师，又是提供咨询的人，还是整个单位质量管理的督导员。