Registered nurses (RNs) are individuals who are educationally prepared and licensed by a state, commonwealth, territory, government or regulatory body to practice as a registered nurse. “Nurse” and “professional nurse” are synonyms for a registered nurse in this document.
Nursing is the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of human responses and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities and populations in recognition of the connection of all humanity. Patient and family-centered care is evidence-based and promotes collaborative decision-making between the healthcare team and patient/family.
Nursing is the protection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities and populations.
Nursing is a learned profession built on a core body of knowledge that reflects its dual components of art and science. Nursing integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alleviation of suffering through compassionate presence. Nursing requires judgment and skill based on principles of the biological, physical, behavioral and social sciences. Registered nurses employ critical thinking to integrate objective data with knowledge gained from an assessment of the subjective experiences of healthcare consumers. Registered nurses use critical thinking to apply the best available evidence and research data to diagnosis and treatment decisions. Nurses continually evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice and seek to optimize outcomes.
Nursing promotes the delivery of holistic consumer-centered care and optimal health outcomes throughout the lifespan and across the health-illness continuum within an environmental context that encompasses culture, ethics, law, politics, economics, access to healthcare resources and competing priorities. Similarly, nursing promotes the health of communities by using advocacy for social and environmental justice, community engagement and access to high-quality and equitable healthcare to maximize population health outcomes and minimize health disparities. Nursing advocates for the well-being, comfort, dignity and humanity of all individuals, families, groups, communities and populations. Nursing focuses on healthcare consumer and interprofessional collaboration, sharing of knowledge, scientific discovery and social welfare.
The Standards of Practice describe a competent level of nursing care as demonstrated by the critical thinking model known as the nursing process. The nursing process includes the components of assessment, diagnosis, outcomes identification, planning, implementation and evaluation. Accordingly, the nursing process encompasses significant actions taken by registered nurses and forms the foundation of the nurse’s decision-making.
