Definition: “It is the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems” (ANA 1980). It is assisting the individual, sick or well in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (to peaceful death) that he will perform unaided, if he had the necessary strength, will or knowledge and to do this in such a way as to help him gain independence as rapidly as possible (Virginia Henderson 1960).
Nursing is the art and science that involves working with individual, families, and communities to promote wellness of body, mind, and spirit. It is a dynamic, therapeutic and educational process that serves to meet the health needs of the society, including its most vulnerable members.
Historical Background of Nursing
Nursing has a history as long as that of human kind. Human beings have always faced the challenge of fostering health and caring for the ill and dependent. Those who were especially skilled in this area stood out and, in some instances, passed their skills along to others. Uprichard (1973) described the early history of nursing using three images: the folk image, the religious image, and the renaissance image.
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