Perhaps one of the noblest professions in the world is nursing. Nurses are people who play very important roles in everybody's lives, especially when it comes to health. It is so much more than a job to be done as it requires beyond skill and dexterity, compassion and concern for the lives of the community.

Nursing is basically a discipline that aims to assist communities to maintain, attain, and retain good health and well-being. It is a science at it involves medical procedures and technical skills. It is an art as it involves personal encounters with people, particularly the ill and afflicted. Nursing does not only entail assisting doctors and surgeons, it is about keeping people in a state of optimal health, a role that is both challenging and rewarding, making it a very dignified profession.

Nursing through the Ages

In the olden days, nursing services were generally rendered by nuns and soldiers. Convents served as hospices and hostels for the sick people both peasant and monarchs alike. Military servicemen were expected to aid their wounded comrades during wars and battles. The military and religious roots of nursing pretty much can be seen today. Several hospitals and sanatoriums are operated by nunneries and military bases. In the United Kingdom, higher-ranking female nurses are also calls "sisters". There area also many nurses who choose to serve church communities to promote public health, counseling, education, and other forms of assistance.

Modern nursing is credited to Florence Nightingale, who assisted soldiers serving in the Crimean War. From her time on, the science of nursing became more standardized as techniques became more defined. However, nursing first became a regulated profession in New Zealand when the Nurses Registration Act was implemented on September 12, 1901. The first ever registered nurse in the world was Ellen Dougherty, who was enlisted on January 10, 1902.

The Profession of Nursing

Nursing is a great responsibility as nurses play vital roles in society. Communities benefit largely from the services of nurses and a society's health and survival could very much depend on nursing, especially during times of distress. Nursing require great altruism bound by an vow that could be compared to a physician's Hippocratic oath. Nursing is also a very systematic discipline that is guided by research and regulated by a strict code of ethics.

Long years of training are needed to enter into the profession of nursing. Continued education is also required to practice nursing furthermore. A nurse is expected to know nursing theory and at the same time apply them in practical clinical skills. Most nations regulate the practice of nursing as it is a very critical responsibility that can only be performed by highly trained individuals.

The Responsibilities of Nursing

According to the American Nurses' Association, a nurse is responsible for diagnosing and treating human responses to health problems both during their course or prior to their onset. Nursing goes hand-in-hand with medicine, as it figures out not only how to treat a disease, but more of how to take care of a patient.

While the practice of nursing encompasses a more universal role in healthcare, it also branches out into different fields of specializations. Nurses can specialize into three major roles namely nursing, midwifery, and special community health service. Other specialties, fall within these three categories.

Apart from hospitals, nurses may also work in schools, drug companies, corporate entities, and the like. Nurses can also act as consultants and advisors for various fields which include industries and law practices apart from healthcare.

Nursing is an important part of society. It is just right to pay nurses with the respect and appreciation they truly deserve.

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