[Definition and history of nursing]

Theories play an essential role in organizing patient care. Theories refer to a proposed or followed belief, policy, or procedure that is the basis for action. Nursing theories are knowledge-based concepts that guide nurses' actions, influence nursing education and practice, and allow nurses to care for their patients.
Theories provide a perspective to assess patients' conditions and organize data and methods. They also assist in analyzing and interpreting information. They represent a...

The Nursing Code of Ethics sets the ethical benchmark for the profession, and guides nurses in ethical analysis and decision making at the societal, organizational, and clinical levels. The code encompasses showing compassion and respect for the patient, their families, and communities in all circumstances while committing to providing patient-centered care. In addition, the code states that nurses must advocate for the patient by defending a cause or recommendation to protect their rights,...

Nursing involves independent, cooperative, person-centered care for people of all ages, families, groups, and communities. Nurses assist the sick or the well person in all settings. Nursing includes promoting health, preventing illness, and caring for ill, disabled, and dying people. Health promotion encourages people to take responsibility for their health. It focuses on the healthy behavior of individuals, families, and the community and the factors that impact their health. Examples of...

A nursing diagnosis is written when the nurse recognizes a cluster of essential patient data indicating health problems treated with independent nursing interventions. The standardized terminologies of a nursing diagnosis help nurses identify and treat patients' problems. Every electronic health record that uses nursing diagnosis must employ standard diagnostic terminology. Developing an efficient, individualized care plan begins with accurate nursing diagnoses.
There are thirteen domains...

Laws form the essential rules set by governing authorities to shape and control societal behavior. In nursing, laws guide actions, safeguard patient rights, define nurses' scope of practice, and maintain professional standards. Understanding the legal framework governing nursing involves recognizing four primary sources of law: constitutional, statutory, administrative (regulatory), and common law.
Constitutional law is foundational, deriving from federal and state constitutions, and...

Nursing diagnoses represent a problem validated by major defining characteristics. There are four categories of nursing diagnoses: problem-focused, risk, health promotion or wellness, and syndrome. The anatomy of a nursing diagnosis includes three components: problem statement or diagnostic label, defining characteristics, and related factors.
Risk nursing diagnoses represent clinical judgments of an individual, family, or community more vulnerable to developing the health problem than others...