Nursing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Contents
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1
History of nursing
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2
Nursing as a profession
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3
Nursing practice
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3.1
Definition
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3.2
Nursing theory and process
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3.3
Practice settings
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3.4
Regulation of practice
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4
Nursing specialties
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5
Nursing by country
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6
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History of nursing
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. In the 15th century,
this developed into the idea of looking after or
advising another, not necessarily meaning a woman
looking after a child. 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.
Prior to the foundation of modern nursing, nuns
and the military often provided nursing-like
services. 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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Definition
Although nursing practice varies both through its
various specialities and countries, these nursing
organizations 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.
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."
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.
Nursing theory and 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.
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.
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."
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.
The major divisions are:-
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the nursing of people with mental health
problems - Psychiatric and mental health nursing
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the nursing of people with learning or
developmental disabilities - Learning disability
nursing (UK)
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the nursing of children - Pediatric nursing.
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the nursing of older adults - Geriatric nursing
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the nursing of people in their own homes - Home
health nursing (US), District nursing and Health
visiting (UK).
There are also specialist areas such as cardiac
nursing, orthopedic nursing, palliative care,
perioperative nursing and oncology nursing.
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