Nursing

Introduction & Top Questions
History of nursing
The practice of nursing
- Scope of nursing practice
- Education for nursing practice
- Forms of general nursing practice
  - Hospital-based nursing practice
  - Community health nursing practice
  - Mental health nursing practice
  - The care of children
  - The care of women
  - Geriatric nursing practice
- Advanced nursing practice
  - Nurse practitioners
  - Clinical nursing specialists
  - Nurse midwives
  - Nurse anesthetists
- Licensing
- National organizations
- International organizations

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

A young doctor or nurse uses a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope to measure the blood pressure of an elderly man seated at a clinic office desk.

A patient lies on an MRI scanner bed covered with a sheet, while a doctor and nurse in scrubs stand nearby monitoring the procedure on a screen.

A doctor in a white lab coat and gloves gives an injection to a young girl sitting on an exam table, steadying her upper arm with one hand.

A home-care nurse in blue scrubs listens to an elderly woman's lungs with a stethoscope as the woman sits on a couch in a bright living room.

At a Glance

nursing summary

Related Questions

How did Florence Nightingale change nursing during the Crimean War?
How did early nursing schools reinforce the idea that nursing was women's work?
How did nurses contribute to the development of critical care units?
How did nurses help make complex surgery safer in hospitals?
How did nursing education move from hospital schools to colleges and universities?
How did the nurse practitioner profession begin in the United States?
How did visiting nurses help prevent infectious diseases in the early 20th century?
How do aging populations increase the need for nurses?
How do clinical nursing specialists assist patients with complex nursing needs?
How do community health nurses protect the health of vulnerable populations?
How do geriatric nurses help reduce risks such as falls and infections?
How do mental health nurses support people with emotional or stress-related concerns?
How do nurse practitioners help care for patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease?
How do nurses work with physicians and other health care professionals?
How do nursing duties differ according to education and local regulations?
How do pediatric nurses promote children's health through immunization and health screenings?
How do pediatric nurses support children and their families during illness?
How does the World Health Organization describe nursing's role in health care systems?
How was most nursing care provided before professional nursing developed?
What concerns were raised about requiring a doctor of nursing practice degree for advanced-practice nurses?
What services do nurse anesthetists provide during surgery?
What tasks can nurse practitioners perform in patient care?
Where can nurses work besides hospitals?
Which specialties can clinical nursing specialists work in?
Why did hospitals become the largest employer of registered nurses by the 1950s?
Why did hospitals begin creating training schools for nurses in the 19th century?
Why did nursing doctoral programs begin to focus on nursing research?
Why did some nursing educators support the doctor of nursing practice degree?
Why did urbanization increase the need for trained nurses in hospitals?
Why do some nurse practitioners work with collaborating physicians?
Why does nurse practitioner prescribing authority vary among U.S. states?
Why has the demand for highly educated nurses increased?
Why is geriatric nursing a growing field of nursing practice?
Why is home care considered an important option for many older patients?
Why was Florence Nightingale called the Lady with the Lamp?
Why was nursing strangers not considered a respectable career for wealthy women before Florence Nightingale?
Why was the National Black Nurses Association founded in 1971?
Why were early nurse practitioner programs especially important in rural areas?
Why were many African American student nurses excluded from early nursing schools?
What is nursing?
How did Florence Nightingale improve nursing care at the Scutari hospital?
How are nurse practitioners prepared for nursing practice?

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External Websites

American Nurses Association - What Is Nursing?
International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research - Nursing as a Profession beyond Tropes of the Image among Public, Media, and the Identity Crisis: A Discussion Paper
International Council of Nurses - Nursing definitions
University of Pennsylvania - Penn Nursing - American Nursing: An Introduction to the Past
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Exploring Influential Factors Shaping Nursing as a Profession and Science in Healthcare System - A Systematic Literature Review

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

nursing - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
nursing - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Nursing

medical profession

Written by

Karen Buhler-Wilkerson

Professor of Community Health Nursing, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Author of No Place Like Home: A History of Nursing and Home Care in the United States.

Karen Buhler-WilkersonAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 29, 2026 •History

Nursing, health profession that assumes responsibility for the continuous care of the sick, the injured, the disabled, and the dying. Nursing is also responsible for encouraging the health of individuals, families, and communities. Nurses typically work in hospitals, specialized medical clinics, public health centers, schools, and other community settings and are actively involved in health care research, management, policy deliberations, and patient advocacy. Those with advanced education and clinical training may assume independent responsibility for...

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