A U.S. Navy recruiting poster from World War II, showing a Naval nurse with a hospital ship.

Nursing is a profession focused on assisting individuals, families, and communities in attaining, maintaining, and recovering optimal health and functioning. 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. This article is about the occupation. ... Suckling redirects here. ... Kittens nursing Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands, the process of providing that milk to the young, and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. ... A U.S. Navy recruiting poster from World War II. It shows a Navy Nurse with a Hospital Ship. ... A U.S. Navy recruiting poster from World War II. It shows a Navy Nurse with a Hospital Ship. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... This article is about the occupation. ... USNS Comfort takes on supplies at Mayport, FL enroute to Gulf Coast. ... A profession is an occupation, vocation or career where specialized knowledge of a subject, field, or science is applied. ... For other uses, see Family (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Community (disambiguation). ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... This article is about the philosophical concept of Art. ... Quality of life is the degree of well-being felt by an individual or group of people. ... Parturition redirects here. ... For other uses, see Death (disambiguation). ...

History of nursing

Main article: Timeline of nursing history

See also: Category:Nurses and Category:Nursing museums

Nursing has existed in various forms in every culture, although the definition of the term and the practice of nursing has changed greatly over time. The oldest sense of the word in the English language a woman employed to suckle and/or generally care for a younger child. The former being known as a wet nurse and the latter being known as a dry nurse.^[1] In the 15th century, this developed into the idea of looking after or advising another, not necessarily meaning a woman looking after a child.^[1] Nursing has continued to develop in this latter sense, although the idea of nourishing in the broadest sense refers in modern nursing to promoting quality of life. // St. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A wet nurse is a woman who nurses a baby not her own. ...

Prior to the foundation of modern nursing, nuns and the military often provided nursing-like services.^[2] The religious and military roots of modern nursing remain in evidence today in many countries. For example: in Britain, senior female nurses are known as ‘‘sisters’’. It was during time of war that a significant development in nursing history arose when Florence Nightingale, working to improve conditions of soldiers in the Crimean War, laid the foundation stone of professional nursing with the principles summarised in the book Notes on Nursing. Other important nurses in the development of the profession include: Mary Seacole, who also worked as a nurse in the Crimea; Agnes Elizabeth Jones and Linda Richards, who established quality nursing schools in the USA and Japan, and Linda Richards who was officially America's first trained nurse, graduating in 1873 from the New England Hospital for Women and Children in Boston. For other uses, see Nun (disambiguation). ... Embley Park, now a school, was the family home of Florence Nightingale. ... Combatants Allies: Second French Empire British Empire Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Sardinia Russian Empire Bulgarian volunteers Casualties 90,000 French 35,000 Turkish 17,500 British 2,194 Sardinian killed, wounded and died of disease ~134,000 killed, wounded and died of disease The Crimean War (1853–1856) was fought... Notes on Nursing Notes on Nursing: What it is and What it is Not was a book published by Florence Nightingale in the year 1860. ... Mary Jane Seacole (1805 – 14 May 1881), sometimes known as Mother Seacole[2] or Mary Grant,[3] was a Jamaican-born multiracial British nurse best known for her involvement in the Crimean War. ... It has been suggested that Agnes Jones be merged into this article or section. ... Linda Richards is a famous nursing pioneer and has the honour of being officially Americas first trained nurse. ... Linda Richards is a famous nursing pioneer and has the honour of being officially Americas first trained nurse. ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ...

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. North Carolina was the first state in the United States to pass a nursing licensure law in 1903. The Nurses Registration Act was passed on September 12, 1901 , providing for the registration of trained nurses. ... Ellen Dougherty (September 20, 1844 to November 3, 1919) was the first Registered Nurse in the world. ... A registered nurse (RN), is a health care professional responsible for implementing the practice of nursing through the use of the nursing process (in concert with other health care professionals). ... Official language(s) English Demonym North Carolinian Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th in the US  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (340 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (900 km)  - % water 9. ...

Nurses have experienced difficulty with the hierarchy in medicine that has resulted in an impression that nurses primary purpose is to follow the direction of medics.^[3] This tendency is certainly not observed in Nightingale's Notes on Nursing, where the doctors are mentioned relatively infrequently and often in critical tones, particularly relating to bedside manner.^[4] Bedside manner is a term describing how a healthcare professional handles a patient. ...

The modern era has seen the development of nursing degrees and nursing has numerous journals to broaden the knowledge base of the profession. Nurses are often in key management roles within health services and hold research posts at universities. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a four year academic degree in the science and principles of nursing, granted by a tertiary education university or similarly accredited school. ...

Nursing as a profession

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 at national or state level. Nursing practice is the actual provision of nursing care. ...

The aim of the nursing community worldwide is to develop the profession guided by continuing education based on nursing research, and to regulate standards of competency and ethics. ^[5] There are a number of educational paths to becoming a professional nurse, which vary greatly worldwide, but all involve extensive study of nursing theory and practice and training in clinical skills. Nursing research is the term used to describe the evidence used to support Nursing practice. ... // Nursing ethics is the discipline of evaluating the merits, risks, and social concerns of activities in the field of nursing. ... Nursing models are conceptual models, constructed of theories and concepts. ... In the United States, certified nurse assistants (CNAs) provide personal care to residents or patients under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN); see Nurse: Types of nurses (and non-nurses). ...

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Nursing practice

Main article: Nursing practice

Nursing practice is primarily the caring relationship between the nurse and the person in their care. In providing nursing care, nurses are implementing the nursing care plan, which is based on a nursing assessment. Nursing practice is the actual provision of nursing care. ... Patient care is part of a nurses role in implementing a care plan. ... A nursing care plan outlines the nursing care to be provided to a patient. ... Nursing assessment is the gathering of information about a patients physiological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual status. ...

Definition

Although nursing practice varies both through its various specialities and countries, these nursing organisations offer the following definitions:

Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles.

— International Council of Nurses ^[5] The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of more than 120 national nurses associations. ...

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."

—Royal College of Nursing UK ^[6] The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a membership organisation with over 395,000 members in the United Kingdom. ...

Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities; prevention of illness and injury; alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human responses; and advocacy in health care for individuals, families, communities, and populations.

—American Nurses Association The American Nurses Association (ANA) is a professional organization to advance and protect the profession of nursing. ...

Nursing theory and process

Main articles: Nursing theory and Nursing process

In general terms, the nursing process is the method used to assess and diagnose needs, plan and implement interventions, and evaluate the outcomes of the care provided. Like other disciplines, the profession has developed different theories derived from sometimes diverse philosophical beliefs and paradigms or worldviews to help nurses direct their activities to accomplish specific goals. Currently, two paradigms exist in nursing, the totality paradigm and the simultaneity paradigm. Nursing models are conceptual models, constructed of theories and concepts. ... // The nursing process is a process by which nurses deliver care to patients. ... // The nursing process is a process by which nurses deliver care to patients. ... Nursing assessment is the gathering of information about a patients physiological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual status. ... // A nursing diagnosis is a standardized statement about the health of a client (who can be an individual, a family, or a community) for the purpose of providing nursing care. ... A nursing care plan outlines the nursing care to be provided to a patient. ... Nursing models are conceptual models, constructed of theories and concepts. ... For other uses, see Paradigm (disambiguation). ... This article is about the radio show. ...

Practice settings

Nurses practice in a wide range of settings, from hospitals to visiting people in their homes and caring for them in schools to research in pharmaceutical companies. Nurses work in occupational health settings (also called industrial health settings), free-standing clinics and physician offices, nurse-run clinics, long-term care facilities and camps. They also work on cruise ships and in military service. Nurses act as advisers and consultants to the healthcare and insurance industries. Some are attorneys and others work with attorneys as legal nurse consultants, reviewing patient records to assure that adequate care was provided and testifying in court. Nurses can work on a temporary basis, which involves doing shifts without a contact in a variety of settings, sometimes known as per diem nursing, agency nursing or travel nursing. For the town in the Republic of Ireland, see Hospital, County Limerick. ... Home Care, AKA. domiciliary care, is health care provided in the patients home by healthcare professionals (often referred to as home health care or formal care; in the United States, it is known as skilled care) or by family and friends (also known as caregivers, primary caregiver, or voluntary... School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well being, academic success, and life-long achievement of students. ... A pharmaceutical company is a licensed drug company, licensed to discover, develop, markets and distribute drugs. ... ... A legal nurse consultant (LNC) is a registered nurse who uses existing expertise as a health care professional plus specialized legal training to consult on medical-related cases. ...

Regulation of practice

The practice of nursing is governed by laws that define a scope of practice, generally mandated by the legislature of the political division within which the nurse practices. Nurses are held legally responsible and accountable for their practice. The standard of care is that of the "prudent nurse." Scope of Practice is a terminology used by licensing boards for various medically-related fields that defines the procedures, actions, and processes that are permitted for the licensed individual. ... In tort law, the standard of care is the degree of prudence and caution required of an individual who is under a duty of care. ...

Nursing specialties

Main article: List of nursing specialties

Nursing is the most diverse of all healthcare professions. Nurses practice in a wide range of settings but generally nursing is divided depending on the needs of the person being nursed. In the United States, there are a large number of specialities within nursing: Ambulatory care nursing Advanced practice nursing Behavioral health nursing Camp nursing Cardiac nursing Case management Clinical nurse specialist Clinical research nurse Correctional nursing Critical care nursing Developmental disabilities nursing Emergency nursing Flight nursing Forensic nursing Gastroenterology nursing...

The major divisions are:-

• the nursing of people with mental health problems - Psychiatric and mental health nursing
• the nursing of people with learning or developmental disabilities - Learning disability nursing (UK)
• the nursing of children - Pediatric nursing.
• the nursing of older adults - Geriatric nursing
• the nursing of people in their own homes - Home health nursing (US), District nursing and Health visiting (UK). See also Live-in nurse

There are also specialist areas such as cardiac nursing, orthopedic nursing, palliative care, perioperative nursing and oncology nursing. Psychiatric nursing or mental health nursing is the branch of nursing that cares for people of all ages with mental illness or mental distress, such as psychosis, depression or dementia. ... Mental retardation (abbreviated as MR), is a term for a pattern of persistently slow learning of basic motor and language skills (milestones) during childhood, and a significantly below-normal intellectual capacity as an adult. ... Child health nursing is an area of nursing and medical practice with a focus on providing holistic care to infants, children and adolescents. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Health Visitors are UK registered nurses or midwives who have undertaken further training to work as part of the primary health care team. ... A Live-in Nurse is a registered nurse that is employed to live and work with one, usually privately funded, patient, in the patients home. ... Cardiac nursing is a loose term that includes many sub-specialty areas that relate to patients with problems of the heart and related systems. ... Palliative care (from Latin palliare, to cloak) is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms, rather than providing a cure. ... An oncology nurse is a specialized nurse who cares for cancer patients. ...

Nursing by country

For the occupation of nurses in each country, see nurse

This article is about the occupation. ...

See also

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Nursing

Nursing Portal

• Nurse
• History of nursing
  • Knights Hospitaller
  • Knights Templar
• Nursing practice
  • Nursing care plan
  • Nursing practice
  • Nursing theory
  • Health promotion
• Nursing specialties
  • List of nursing specialties
  • Nursing specialties
• List of nurses
• Prominent nurses (category)
• Nursing school
• Master of Science in Nursing
• Traditional Nurse's Uniform
• Modern Nurse's Uniform (Scrubs)

Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Wikibooks logo Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is a wiki for the creation of books. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the occupation. ... The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the , Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Knights of Malta, Knights of Rhodes, and Chevaliers of Malta; French: Ordre des Hospitaliers) is a Christian organization that began as an Amalfitan hospital founded in Jerusalem in 1080 to provide... For other uses, see Knights Templar (disambiguation). ... A nursing care plan outlines the nursing care to be provided to a patient. ... Nursing practice is the actual provision of nursing care. ... Nursing models are conceptual models, constructed of theories and concepts. ... Health promotion is the science and art of helping people change their lifestyle to move toward a state of optimal health. ... In the United States, there are a large number of specialities within nursing: Ambulatory care nursing Advanced practice nursing Behavioral health nursing Camp nursing Cardiac nursing Case management Clinical nurse specialist Clinical research nurse Correctional nursing Critical care nursing Developmental disabilities nursing Emergency nursing Flight nursing Forensic nursing Gastroenterology nursing... // Clara Barton Saint Alda (d. ... Nursing school is a type of educational institution, or part thereof, where people undergo formal education and training to become a nurse. ... A Masters of Science in Nursing is an advanced degree a Registered Nurse may obtain to become an advanced practice nurse, such as a Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist. ... Nurse in traditional student uniform, but without cap A nurse uniform is attire worn by nurses for hygiene and identification. ... Scrubs are the shirts and trousers or gowns worn by nurses, surgeons, and other operating room personnel when scrubbing in for surgery. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Nurse". The Oxford English Dictionary 2nd edition 10. (1989). Oxford University Press. p603-604. ISBN 0198611862. 
2. ^ Florence Nightingale (1820 — 1910)
3. ^ Radcliffe, Mark (2000). "Doctors and nurses: new game, same result". British Medical Journal 320 (1085). doi:10.1136/bmj.320.7241.1085. 
4. ^ Nightingale, Florence (1860) Notes on Nursing Full text online Accessed 14 August 2007
5. ^ ^{a b} International Council of Nurses Accessed August 2007
6. ^ RCN (2003) Defining nursing Retrieved April 2007

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) is a medical journal published weekly in the United Kingdom by the British Medical Association (BMA)which published its first issue in 1845. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ...

External links

• The Canadian Museum of Civilization - Canadian Nursing History Collection Online
• The Canadian Museum of Civilization - One Hundred Years of Nurses' Caps
• American Association for the History of Nursing
• National Network of Learning Disability Nurses
• University of Maryland School of Nursing Living History Museum
• Animated Medical Procedure tutorials