The Registered Nurse (RN) is accountable for providing a safe and comfortable experience for the patient and the patient's support systems. As an accountable professional, the Registered Nurse exercises autonomy (the right to undertake a specified action), authority (the power to implement action), and control (the ability to enforce the action in an ongoing and consistent manner) in order to ensure these excellent patient outcomes. Professional accountability is expressed in five areas: practice, quality assurance, competence, research, and resource management. Responsibilities: Applies the nursing process to perform initial and ongoing assessment of patients. Recognizes importance of informed consent. Follow po