Since inception, the word nursing has been associated with assisting and caring for people in their way of living so as to ensure that these people are able to spend most of their lives with utmost comfort. Considered a noble profession, nursing signifies commitment and sacrifice in the line of duty. A person who performs the nursing function is known as a Nurse. A nurse is a person who is qualified and trained to attend to unwell people. They look after the day to day needs of the people unwell, helping them in coping with the illness.

The earlier traces or references of nursing date back to the 14th century. The most famous names in the field of nursing till date have been of Nurse Florence Nightingale. Florence Nightingale served the injured during the Crimean war; has been credited with the development of the nursing profession. Florence Nightingale was instrumental in setting up one of the first nursing schools in the world, which imparted information and knowledge in the field of human health care. The school laid down procedures and processes to be practiced in nursing care.

In earlier times, especially during the wars, personnel from the military along with nurses provided life saving human health care services to the injured. The basic purpose of the on field nursing procedures was to impart first aid treatment to the injured and ensure that the injuries do not aggravate into a serious health threatening disease. The injured personnel after being imparted with first aid training are transferred to proper specialist hospitals to better and advanced care.

Over the years, the intricacies and requirements of the job of a nurse have changed dramatically. The job which was initially best signified or related to as caring of a little child by a women, has become a more direct and important role in providing assistance in human wellbeing and care. In today’s era, nursing forms an integral part of the health care strategies of the providing institutions. Nurse’s role is pivotal in assisting the health care specialists and enables them to take up more challenging cases.

Discharging of nursing duties, involves participation of human beings, their conduct is governed by the study standards and laws of the lands. Most of the countries have specialized nursing training institutions which impart knowledge about the nursing subject. Post completing the learning aspect, the nurses are required to obtain licenses for practice which are mandatory. Once the licensing formalities are completed, the nurses can practice their profession at various health providing institutions or hospitals.

There are a lot of specialized subjects attached with the nursing profession. These specializations help in imparting better insight and equip the learners to effectively tackle a particular form of disease. These days a lot of nursing professionals are attaching themselves with the social responsibility projects. They utilize their energies and concentrate on areas where human beings of a particular segment of society live and the ones who cannot afford basic health care services.