What is Nursing?

Definition of Nursing

• The act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery (Florence Nightingale, 1860)
• This is the definition of nursing given by Florence Nightingale 100 years ago. She considered a clean, well-ventilated, and quiet environment essential for recovery. Often considered the first nurse theorist, she raised the status of nursing through education. Nurses were no longer untrained housekeepers but people educated in the care of the sick.\

• The unique function of the nurse is to assist the individuals, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or to a peaceful death) that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge, and to do this in such a way as to help him gain independence as rapidly as possible (Virginia Henderson, 1966)
• Virginia Henderson was one of the first modern nurses to define nursing. Like Nightingale, Henderson described nursing in relation to the client and the client's environment. Unlike Nightingale, Henderson saw the nurse as concerned with both healthy and ill individuals, acknowledged that nurses interact with clients even when recovery may not be feasible, and mentioned the teaching and advocacy roles of the nurse.

• Nursing is
• caring
• an art
• scientific
• client-centered
• holistic
• adaptive
• concerned with health promotion, maintenance and restoration
• a helping profession

• Recipients of Nursing
• Sometimes called consumers, sometimes patients, and sometimes clients.
• Consumer is an individual, a group of people, or a community that uses a service or commodity. People who use health care products or services are consumers of health care. 
• Patient is a person waiting for or undergoing medical treatment and care. Usually seeks assistance because of illness or surgery.
• Client is a person who engages the advise or service of another who is qualified to provide this service.

Scope of Nursing

• 3 Types of Clients in Nursing
• individuals
• families
• community

• 4 Areas of Nursing Practice
1. Promoting Health and Wellness - It means engaging in attitudes and behavior that enhance the quality for life and maximize personal potential. Nurses promote wellness in clients who are both healthy and ill. This may involve individual and community activities to enhance healthy lifestyles.
2. Preventing Illness - Goal of illness prevention programs is to obtain optimal health by preventing disease. This includes immunizations, prenatal care and infant care.
3. Restoring Health - Focuses on the ill client and it extends from  early detection of disease through helping the client during the recovery period.
4. Care of the dying