Nursing

Nursing is a profession focused on assisting individuals, families, and communities in attaining, re-attaining, and maintaining optimal health and functioning. more...

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Modern definitions of nursing define it as a science and an art that focuses on promoting quality of life as defined by persons and families, throughout their life experiences from birth to care at the end of life.

History of nursing

In premodern times, nuns, prostitutes and the military often provided nursing-like services . The religious and military roots of modern nursing remain in evidence today. For example, in Britain, senior female nurses are known as "Sisters."

Florence Nightingale is regarded as the founder of modern nursing, which flourished in response to the Crimean War.

New Zealand was the first country to regulate nurses nationally, with adoption of the Nurses Registration Act on the 12th of September , 1901. Ellen Dougherty was the first Registered Nurse.

For more information on prominent nurses, both historical and contemporary, see articles on individual nurses. There are also articles on nursing museums on Wikipedia. Many of these museums, such as the American Museum of Nursing, have online galleries.

See also: Timeline of nursing history

Nursing as a profession

Nursing, like all professions, is based on the ideal of service to humanity. The practice of nursing involves altruistic behavior, is guided by nursing research, and is governed by a code of ethics.

Nursing continues to develop a wide body of knowledge and associated skills. There are a number of educational paths to becoming a professional nurse, but all involve extensive study of nursing theory and practice and training in clinical skills.

The authority for the practice of nursing is based upon a social contract that delineates professional rights and responsibilities as well as mechanisms for public accountability. In almost all countries, nursing practice is defined and governed by law, and entrance to the profession is regulated by national, state, or territorial boards of nursing.

Nursing practice

The American Nurses Association has defined nursing as "the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations."

The UK based Royal College of Nursing offers this definition: Nursing is "The use of clinical judgement in the provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life, whatever their disease or disability, until death."

Read more at Wikipedia.org