What is nursing

We thought one way to celebrate and observe nurses would be to speak to them directly about what being a nurse means to them. Here are some of the responses we received from nurses around the country and in various practice areas to share their stories:. Ernest J.

For me, being a nurse ticks many boxes and extends beyond the bedside into non-traditional settings. As clinicians, nurses provide patients and families quality and safe care; as researchers, nurses inform scientific and evidence-based discovery; as advocates, nurses influence health policy decisions; as educators, nurses help individuals make informed decisions such as getting vaccinated against COVID Nursing is a highly specialized profession rooted in rigorous learning that continues to evolve to meet the ever-changing health care landscape and demand for services.

One of the most rewarding aspects about being a nurse is being the closest to patients, providing them care from birth to the end of life. Healthcare is personal, and we are trusted advocates who ensure that all individuals, families, groups, communities and populations receive quality patient care and have access to the healthcare services that they seek.

As a Black nurse specifically, it is rewarding to provide culturally competent care to underserved populations and shatter archaic stereotypes about what nurses look like. History and Etymology for nurse Noun Middle English norice, norce, nurse , from Anglo-French nurice , from Late Latin nutricia , from Latin, feminine of nutricius nourishing — more at nutritious Verb Middle English nurshen to suckle, nourish, contraction of nurishen. Learn More About nurse. Time Traveler for nurse The first known use of nurse was in the 13th century See more words from the same century.

Phrases Related to nurse charge nurse nursing school staff nurse. Style: MLA. More Definitions for nurse. Kids Definition of nurse Entry 1 of 2. Kids Definition of nurse Entry 2 of 2. Medical Definition of nurse Entry 1 of 2. Medical Definition of nurse Entry 2 of 2. Get Word of the Day daily email! Test Your Vocabulary.

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? There are more than 3 million registered nurses in the United States. In fact, nurses outnumber doctors in the health care industry. A patient experiencing chest pains, for example, might have a cardiologist, a nephrologist and an internal medicine specialist. Each of these doctors would diagnose, treat and prescribe medications solely for their area of expertise. A registered nurse is a nurse who has obtained a nursing degree, has passed the NCLEX-RN exam and has fulfilled all other state licensing requirements.

While an associates degree is the minimum education required to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam, a bachelor's degree or higher is becoming more commonly preferred among employers. For more information about becoming a registered nurse, you can read our registered nursing career guide.

What do nurses do? They are continuously monitoring and evaluating patients, nurses must be smart, adaptive, educated and skilled in critical thinking. Not all registered nurses work in hospitals. Nurses have the ability to use their skills to meet the needs of their patients, pretty much wherever they are located. For example, many nurses now assist the elderly or disabled in their homes. Some common places where nurses work include:. Answering the question of what do nurses do can be challenging due to the fact that nurses are skilled in many fields and may choose to focus their trade specifically in certain types of care.

Some specific nursing fields include geriatrics, critical care, pediatrics, treatment planning, and case management. From working face-to-face with patients to managing their paperwork, nurses play a huge role in our lives and the profession continues to be a prosperous career path for those considering taking on this role. Some different types of nurses and their education requirements include:. If you are interested in learning about more nursing specialties and their education requirements, read our guide on types of nursing degrees.

Different classifications of nurses will earn different salaries:. Within the total health care environment, nurses share with other health professionals and those in other sectors of public service the functions of planning, implementation, and evaluation to ensure the adequacy of the health system for promoting health, preventing illness, and caring for ill and disabled people. Basic nursing education is a formally recognised programme of study providing a broad and sound foundation in the behavioural, life, and nursing sciences for the general practice of nursing, for a leadership role, and for post-basic education for specialty or advanced nursing practice.

The nurse is prepared and authorized 1 to engage in the general scope of nursing practice, including the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and care of physically ill, mentally ill, and disabled people of all ages and in all health care and other community settings; 2 to carry out health care teaching; 3 to participate fully as a member of the health care team; 4 to supervise and train nursing and health care auxiliaries; and 5 to be involved in research.