Guide Note

Nursing is a health profession dedicated to the care and treatment of individuals with illnesses, injuries or diseases. Nurses generally do not diagnose disease but work closely with doctors and other health care staff to establish and monitor patients' care plans.¹²

Fast Facts

1. 92 percent of Registered Nurses are women (2003)¹
2. Common nursing tasks include: Taking patient history, recording symptoms, drawing blood, performing tests and monitoring patient vital signs and needs
3. Employed in hospitals, doctors offices, nursing homes, home health care facilities and outpatient centers
4. Current U.S. Nursing licensing exam: NCLEX³

Historically, nurses were involved primarily in childbirth and infant rearing. The verb "to nurse" still means to feed a small infant. The foundations for modern nursing were laid during the U.S. Civil War. Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix both pushed for additional medical support for treatment of wounded soldiers.⁴ Around the same time in England, Florence Nightingale founded the first modern school for nurses.⁵

1. Registered Nurse (RN): Requires passing an examination and either a Bachelor's Degree, an Associates Degree or a diploma.¹
2. Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN): Requires at least one year of training and passing an examination.²
3. Advanced Practice Nurse: Requires a Master's Degree. Advanced practice nurses can function more like doctors, with the ability to diagnose patients, treat patients and prescribe medication depending on the jurisdiction.¹