What do you think nursing is?

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Specializes in Operating room, Women's Health.

Hi ! :)

I'm in my second year of nursing school.

my professor gave me this assignment, I have to ask to nurses what they think nursing is.

I don't have any nurses around me and I decided to ask nurses on allnurses.com because I love to use this website :) !

Can you please write what you think nursing is by comments?

Thank you !!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Are you in the US?

According to the American Nurses Association, What is Nursing?

"Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations."

It is important to note that we are focused on "human response" to health issues... rather than on curing or treating the illness itself.

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Specializes in Operating room, Women's Health.

I'm not in the US yet but I will take an exchange student course to go to University of Illinois at Chicago next semester ! And I already wrote What is nursing from ANA and ICN, I want to know what current nurses think ! :)

Thank you for your comment btw !

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Specializes in CWON - Certified Wound and Ostomy Nurse.

Nursing is one of the best career fields out there...you can work in so many different areas w/ one degree and if you decide you need a change there are many options without having to go into an entirely new pressure. It's a rewarding and fulfilling job where you get thanked every single day for the things you do for patients and their families.

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CWONgal is exactly right. The ability to do something different in nursing is a great plus. But the biggest sadness I feel in nursing (and healthcare in general in USA) is that all the glitter and happy things you expect in nursing school is impossible to spot in real world. The system is very nonfunctional; I just don't know why. Maybe the general public is entitled to privileges that they believe are rights at the cost of other people's money. But then again, I am not originally from here, so I can't understand that mentality, but in most of countries, people have general concept that one must pay consequences for deliberately ill, unhealthy decisions... plus the debauchery of CMS and impossible expectations from credentialing makes us even more bitter and unappreciated

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Nursing is taking care of a patient mind and body. Nursing is not just about skills. Administering IV antibiotics or performing a wound vac dressing is the easiest part of my job. In fact I can teach a patient to do these things. Nursing is critical thinking and seeing the patient as a whole. Nursing is being a voice for the patient. Not only being their voice, but teaching them to advocate for themselves. Nursing is giving a patient great care and respect by empowering them.

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Specializes in Operating room, Women's Health.

Thank you all! :)

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