nursing
Nurses make up the largest group of health care workers in the world. They work with doctors and other medical providers to care for people who are sick or injured. Originally practiced mainly by women, the profession called nursing now also includes men. (See also medicine.)
Most nurses work along with doctors in hospitals, clinics, or offices. They often work with nurse's aides or assistants, too. Nurses find out about a patient's health by asking questions. They also check such signs as blood pressure and temperature. Nurses give medicine, change bandages, help patients move around, and provide other treatment. They give advice on how to get well and how to stay healthy. They comfort frightened patients and worried family members.
Many nurses specialize in a certain area. Some nurses assist doctors during surgery. Some care mainly for children or the elderly. Others work with pregnant women and infants. Some care for patients with mental illnesses. Other nurses take care of patients in private homes.
Some nurses work more independently, with less instruction from doctors. These nursing specialists need more training and education than other nurses. Nurse practitioners examine patients and manage their care. Nurse midwives deliver babies. Community health nurses set up programs to teach people about health issues.
To get into nursing school, applicants have to have a high school diploma. They need a good background in biology, chemistry, algebra, English, and psychology. Good communication and organizational skills are important. Knowledge of computers is helpful. Many nursing schools require a special admission test.
Students in the United States can choose from several types of nursing programs. Nursing students who study for about a year can become licensed practical nurses (LPNs). LPNs do basic nursing work. After about two years of study, students can receive an associate degree in nursing or a hospital diploma. Nurses with these degrees can directly care for patients. With a four-year degree—the Bachelor of Science in nursing—students can earn better pay and have more job opportunities. These students can also go on to get a master's degree in a specialty or even a doctorate.
After earning a nursing degree, graduates must pass a test to get a license to practice nursing. Some states also require nurses to continue their education. In this way nurses can keep up with the latest information and techniques.
Throughout history people have cared for sick family members. Religious people and others also cared for the sick. The profession of nursing, however, did not exist until fairly recently. One pioneer in the field of nursing was Florence Nightingale. In 1854–56, during the Crimean War, she nursed British soldiers and worked to improve conditions in hospitals. In the United States Clara Barton played a similar role. She and other women cared for sick and wounded men fighting in the Civil War. Barton later founded the American Red Cross, which works to relieve human suffering.
The profession of nursing developed along with the rise of hospitals in the United States and around the world. As the demand for hospital nurses grew in the early 20th century, more nursing schools opened.
During that time nursing was one of the few professions acceptable for women. Often nurses could go where other women could not. Nurses helped people in urban slums and isolated rural areas. Nurses were some of the first flight attendants. Nurses also served in the military.
Still, nurses had less power than doctors, most of whom were men. With the support of the women's rights movement in the 1960s, however, nurses asked for more respect and better pay. Gradually they gained more influence over the care of their patients. Today, just as women can become doctors, men can work as nurses.
