The authority for the practice of
nursing is based upon a social contract that delineates professional rights and
responsibilities as well as mechanisms for public accountability. In almost all
countries, nursing practice is defined and governed by law, and entrance to the
profession is regulated at the national or state level.
The aim of the nursing community
worldwide is for its professionals to ensure quality care for all, while
maintaining their credentials, code of ethics, standards, and competencies, and
continuing their education. There are a number of educational paths to becoming
a professional nurse, which vary greatly worldwide, but all involve extensive
study of nursing theory and practice, and training in clinical skills.
Nurses care for individuals of
all ages and cultural backgrounds who are healthy and ill in a holistic manner based on the individual's physical, emotional,
psychological, intellectual, social, and spiritual needs. The profession
combines physical science, social science, nursing theory, and technology in
caring for those individuals.
In order to work in the nursing
profession, all nurses hold one or more credentials depending on their scope of
practice and education. A Licensed practical nurse (LPN) (also referred to as a Licensed vocational nurse, Registered
practical nurse, Enrolled nurse, and State enrolled nurse) works independently
or with a Registered nurse. The most significant differentiation between an LPN and RN is found in
the requirements for entry to practice, which determines entitlement for their
scope of practice, for example in Canada an RN requires a bachelors degree and
a LPN requires a 2 year diploma. A Registered nurse (RN) provides scientific,
psychological, and technological knowledge in the care of patients and families
in many health care settings. Registered nurses may also earn additional credentials or degrees.
Nurses may follow their personal
and professional interests by working with any group of people, in any setting,
at any time. Some nurses follow the traditional role of working in a hospital
setting.
Around the world, nurses have
been traditionally female. Despite equal opportunity legislation nursing has
continued to be a female dominated profession. For instance, in Canada and
America the male-to-female ratio of nurses is approximately 1:19 This ratio is
represented around the world. Notable exceptions include: Francophone Africa, which includes the countries of Benin, Burkino Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Guinea, Gabon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, and Togo, which all have more male than female nurses. In Europe, in
countries such as Spain, Portugal, Czechoslovakia, and Italy, over 20% of nurses are male.
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