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Nurse, author, and theorist Virginia Henderson defined nursing in her 1966 work The Nature of Nursing by saying: “The unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual…in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery…that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength…” Nurses are a very important part of the medical industry.

The nursing field is vast with many specialties. Different fields of medicine from dermatology, to radiology, to urology have nurses trained for them. Here are just a few:

• Advanced Practice Nursing: An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) has advanced and expanded skills and knowledge. They are generalist, specialist nurses.
• Geriatric Nursing: These nurses specialize in the care and assistance of the elderly. They help to keep healthy those who may be too old to keep themselves healthy.
• Obstetrical Nursing or Prenatal Nursing: Nurses in this field specialize in caring for those who are trying to have a baby, are having a baby, or have just had a baby. They care for women experiencing complications in their pregnancy and assist in delivery.
• Surgical Nursing: Surgical nurses prepare people for surgery and then assist during the surgery. They watch the patient for signs of complication and, later, help in post-surgery recovery.

Healthcare careers in nursing are in demand, and since the medical industry is largely recession-resistant, nursing careers are very popular right now.

Nurse Henderson said that nurses “assist the individual” to get well. Given all they do, this seems like such a simple definition for such an important and vital part of the healthcare industry.