Contemporary Nursing Practice
An understanding of contemporary nursing practice includes a look at definitions of
nursing, recipients of nursing, scope of nursing, settings for nursing practice, nurse
practice acts, and current standards of clinical nursing practice.
Definitions of Nursing
Professional nursing associations have examined nursing and developed their
definitions of it. In 1973, the ANA described nursing practice as “direct, goal
oriented,and adaptable to the needs of the individual, the family, and community
during health and illness' ' (ANA, 1973, p. 2). In 1980, the ANA changed this
definition of nursing to this: “Nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of human
responses to actual or potential health problems” (ANA, 1980, p. 9). In 1995, the
ANA recognized the influence and contribution of the science of caring to nursing
philosophy and practice. Research to explore the meaning of caring in nursing has
been increasing.. The current definition of nursing remains unchanged from the 2003
edition of Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: “Nursing is the protection, promotion,
and optimization of health and abilities, preventions of illness and injury, alleviation of
suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in
the care of individuals, fami-lies, communities, and populations” (ANA, 2010, p. 10;
ANA, 2015b, p. 7).
Recipients of Nursing
The recipients of nursing are sometimes called consumers, sometimes patients, and
sometimes clients. A consumer is an individual, a group of people, or a community
that uses a service or commodity. People who use healthcare products or services
are consumers of healthcare.A patient is an individual who is waiting for or
undergoing medical treatment and care. The word patient comes from a Latin word
meaning “to suffer” or “to bear.” Traditionally, the individual receiving health care has
been called a patient. Usually, people become patients when they seek assistance
because of illness or for surgery. Some nurses believe that the word patient implies
passive acceptance of the decisions and care of health professionals. Additionally,
with the emphasis on health promotion and prevention of illness, many recipients of
nursing care are not ill. Moreover, nurses interact with family members and
significant others to provide support, information, and comfort in addition to caring for
the patient.
For these reasons, nurses increasingly refer to recipients of healthcare as clients. A
client is an individual who engages the advice or services of another who is qualified
to provide this service. The term client presents the receivers of healthcare as
collaborators in the care, that is, as people who are also responsible for their own
health. Thus, the health status of a client is the responsibility of the individual in
An understanding of contemporary nursing practice includes a look at definitions of
nursing, recipients of nursing, scope of nursing, settings for nursing practice, nurse
practice acts, and current standards of clinical nursing practice.
Definitions of Nursing
Professional nursing associations have examined nursing and developed their
definitions of it. In 1973, the ANA described nursing practice as “direct, goal
oriented,and adaptable to the needs of the individual, the family, and community
during health and illness' ' (ANA, 1973, p. 2). In 1980, the ANA changed this
definition of nursing to this: “Nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of human
responses to actual or potential health problems” (ANA, 1980, p. 9). In 1995, the
ANA recognized the influence and contribution of the science of caring to nursing
philosophy and practice. Research to explore the meaning of caring in nursing has
been increasing.. The current definition of nursing remains unchanged from the 2003
edition of Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: “Nursing is the protection, promotion,
and optimization of health and abilities, preventions of illness and injury, alleviation of
suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in
the care of individuals, fami-lies, communities, and populations” (ANA, 2010, p. 10;
ANA, 2015b, p. 7).
Recipients of Nursing
The recipients of nursing are sometimes called consumers, sometimes patients, and
sometimes clients. A consumer is an individual, a group of people, or a community
that uses a service or commodity. People who use healthcare products or services
are consumers of healthcare.A patient is an individual who is waiting for or
undergoing medical treatment and care. The word patient comes from a Latin word
meaning “to suffer” or “to bear.” Traditionally, the individual receiving health care has
been called a patient. Usually, people become patients when they seek assistance
because of illness or for surgery. Some nurses believe that the word patient implies
passive acceptance of the decisions and care of health professionals. Additionally,
with the emphasis on health promotion and prevention of illness, many recipients of
nursing care are not ill. Moreover, nurses interact with family members and
significant others to provide support, information, and comfort in addition to caring for
the patient.
For these reasons, nurses increasingly refer to recipients of healthcare as clients. A
client is an individual who engages the advice or services of another who is qualified
to provide this service. The term client presents the receivers of healthcare as
collaborators in the care, that is, as people who are also responsible for their own
health. Thus, the health status of a client is the responsibility of the individual in
