Nursing includes a range of specialties and definitions that vary from country to country. According to the International Council of Nurses:
"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."
Some agencies highlight the duty of nurses to assist individuals in performing activities that contribute to health, recovery, or peaceful death, that the patients would perform if they had the strength, will, or knowledge required. Nurses strive to achieve the best possible quality of life for their patients, regardless of disease or disability. They use clinical judgment to protect, promote, and optimize health, prevent illness and injury, alleviate suffering, and advocate in health care for individuals, families, communities, and populations. What does a nurse do?
A nurse is a healthcare professional who is focused on caring for individuals, families, and communities, ensuring that they attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and functioning. Nurses are capable of assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating care independently of physicians, and they provide support from basic triage to emergency surgery.
Nurses may practice in hospitals, clinics, physician offices, private homes, schools, pharmaceutical companies (usually as researchers), industry (occupational health settings), schools, cruise ships, retirement homes, hospice facilities, long-term care facilities, military facilities, and even camps. Some nurses may also advise and work as consultants in the the healthcare, insurance, or legal industries. Nurses can work full- or part-time, and many work on a per diem basis or as traveling nurses.
What are the different types of nurses?
The formal classification for nurses differs from country to country. In the United States, nurses can be broadly classified as licensed practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs), and advanced practice nurses (APNs). LPNs usually have 18 months to two years of training and must pass state or national boards to renew their license. These nurses perform both simple and complex medical procedures, but they must operate under the supervision of a RN or physician. LPNs can administer most medications, take measurements, keep records, perform emergency life-saving techniques like CPR, and administer basic care.
Registered nurses (RNs) have a diploma, associates, or bachelor's degree in nursing, many hours of clinical experience, and they must pass state board examinations before earning the title of registered nurse. These nurses often supervise LPNs, orderlies, and nursing assistants. RNs provide direct care and make decisions on the care required for healthy, ill, or injured people. They provide scientific, psychological, and technological knowledge in the care of patients and families in several health care settings.
Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are RNs with advanced education, knowledge, skills, and scope of practice. These professionals usually possess an advanced degree in nursing and have additional qualifications. As certified nurse midwifes (CNM), nurse practitioners (NP), clinical nurse specialists (CNS) or certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA), APNs perform primary health care, provide mental health services, diagnose and prescribe, carry out research, and teach the public and other medical professionals.
In the UK, nurses are classified as first level nurse, second level nurse, specialist nurse, or manager. Most nurses are first level nurses, and the second level nurse category is being phased out. Nurses with more experience and extra education or training may be considered specialist nurses. Specialties include nurse practitioners who work in a role similar to doctors in primary care and emergency departments, specialist community public health nurses such as school and occupational health nurses, clinical nurse specialists who provide clinical leadership and education, nurse consultants who provide clinical education and training and conduct research, lecturer-practitioners who work for the NHS and universities, and lecturers who work full time at universities. Other nurses choose to become managers, working in NHS administration.
How does one become a nurse?
In order to become a nurse, you must earn one of the various nursing credentials. Common paths to the RN designation in the United States include:
- Associate of Science in Nursing - two to three years of college level study with a strong emphasis on clinical knowledge and skills.
- Diploma in Nursing - three years of study at a hospital-based school of nursing (these programs are deprecated).
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing - four or five years that lead to the BSN/BN degree with emphasis on leadership, research, and clinical practice.
At the top of the educational ladder is the doctoral-prepared nurse. Nurses may earn a PhD or another doctoral degree, specializing in research, clinical nursing, and so forth. These nurses practice nursing, teach nursing, and carry out nursing research.
In other parts of the world, nursing education varies. In the United Kingdom, aspiring nurses attend a university to obtain a High National Diploma or a Bachelors degree in order to become a nurse. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) determines the course requirements and qualifications. A typical student nurse completes three 42-week academic years, splitting time between theoretical and practical training. During training, students are placed in rotations where they gain experience caring for elderly people, medical and surgical patients, communities, and patients in critical care. Nurses in the UK register in at least one of four branches: adult, child, mental health or learning disability.
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Written by Peter Crosta M.A.
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
RNs and RPNs
In Ontario, nursing is one profession with two
categories — Registered Nurse (RN) and Registered
Practical Nurse (RPN).
Nurses are accountable for their decisions and
actions, and for maintaining competence throughout
their careers. Although all nursing students learn
from the same body of nursing knowledge, RNs
study for a longer period of time, allowing for greater
depth and breadth of foundational knowledge in
the areas of clinical practice, decision-making,
critical thinking, leadership, research utilization and
resource management. RPNs study for a shorter
period of time, resulting in a more focused body of
foundational knowledge in the areas identified above.
What Do Nurses Need to Know?
Nurse educators use the College's standards and
entry-to-practice competencies when designing
programs. Doing so helps ensure that applicants
will meet the College's entry-to-practice
requirements. Comprehensive scientific knowledge
is one component of a nurse’s basic education,
but there are others. These include: how to apply
nursing knowledge in various situations and
practice settings; how to deal effectively and in
a caring manner with the public; how to behave
professionally and ethically; and how to assure
continued competence in nursing.
To maintain competence and ensure public safety,
nurses pursue lifelong learning as part of the
College’s Quality Assurance Program. Continued
learning can be achieved by reading professional
journals, attending courses and conferences, or
pursuing specialized education. Because of today's
rapidly changing healthcare environment, nurses
must possess current knowledge and skills, and
exercise good judgement, in order to provide
quality care to clients.
What is the College of Nurses of Ontario?
The College regulates the nursing profession in
Ontario. Established by, but at arm’s length from,
the provincial government, the College sets the
criteria for becoming a nurse in Ontario and the
standards of practice that must be met to maintain
that designation. Title protection is also within
the jurisdiction of the College. Only those with a
valid Certificate of Registration from the College
can practise as a nurse in Ontario and use the titles
“nurse”, “Registered Nurse” or “Registered Practical
Nurse.”
In Ontario, the
Regulated Health Professions Act
(RHPA) and the
legal framework for nursing as a self-regulating
profession and give the College the responsibility
for carrying out nursing regulation to protect the
public interest.
Nursing Act, 1991, provide the
What is Nursing?
fact sheet fiche d’information
The College has approximately 140,000 members,
making nurses the largest group of regulated health
care professionals in the province.
For More Information
Visit the College website at
more information on nursing education. The site
also contains information on how to register with
the College, downloadable versions of practice
standards and guidelines, notices about upcoming
Council meetings, and resources such as e-Learning
modules and the
prevention video.
www.cno.org forOne is One Too Many abuse
JAN 2007
44033
2007-09
Copyright © College of Nurses of Ontario, 2007
fact sheet fiche d’information
Introduction
The goal of nursing is to restore, maintain and
advance the health of individuals, groups or entire
communities. It is a science and an art. The
science is the application of nursing knowledge
and the technical aspects of practice. The art is the
establishment of a caring relationship through which
nurses apply nursing knowledge, skills and judgment
in a compassionate manner. Both focus on the whole
person, not just a particular health problem.
Nurses have many different roles – clinical
practitioner, administrator, teacher, researcher – in
many different settings, including hospitals, longterm
care facilities, clients’ homes, clinics, industries
and classrooms, to name just a few. They care for
individuals at all stages of the life cycle and in all
states of health, from normal functioning to crisis.
