Definitions of Nursing

Florence Nightingale defined nursing nearly 150 years ago as “the
act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his
recovery” (Nightingale, 1860/1969). Nightingale considered a clean,
well-ventilated, and quiet environment essential for recovery. Often

considered the first nurse theorist, Nightingale raised the status of
nursing through education. Nurses were no longer untrained house-
keepers but people educated in the care of the sick.

Virginia Henderson was one of the first modern nurses to de-
fine nursing. She wrote, “The unique function of the nurse is to as-
sist the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities
contributing to health or its recovery (or to peaceful death) that he
would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will, or
knowledge, and to do this in such a way as to help him gain indepen-
dence as rapidly as possible” (Henderson, 1966, p. 3). Like Nightin-
gale, Henderson described nursing in relation to the client and the
clients environment. Unlike Nightingale, Henderson saw the nurse as
concerned with both healthy and ill individuals, acknowledged that
nurses interact with clients even when recovery may not be feasible
and mentioned the teaching and advocacy roles of the nurse.

In the latter half of the 20th century, a number of nurse theorists
developed their own theoretical definitions of nursing, Theoretical
definitions are important because they go beyond simplistic com-
mon definitions. They describe what nursing is and the interrela-

tionship among nurses, nursing, the client, the environment, and the
intended client outcome: health (see Chapter 3 a=).
Certain themes are common to many of these definitions:

* Nursing is caring.

* Nursing isanart.

* Nursing is a science.

* Nursing is client centered.

* Nursing is holisti

* Nursing is adaptive.

* Nursing is concerned with health promotion, health maintenance,
and health restoration.

* Nursing is a helping profession.