- What is Nursing? -
The Context of Nursing Practice in
Universal Health Care in Canada
What is nursing legally and professionally? Nursing laws
define nursing practice in Canada.
Within the public accountability framework of
universal health care in Canada,
the nursing profession is autonomous and self regulating.
Florence Nightingale wrote,
"....what nursing has to do...is to put the patient in the best condition for nature to act upon him."
Even though she wrote these words in 1859 this definition of nursing is still philosophically at the foundation of
how nursing is defined in all jurisdictions in health care in Canada.
"Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and
communities, sick or well and in all settings.
Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill,
disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in
shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing
roles."
Nursing Practice is defined by nursing laws.
There is a very strong and well structured public accountability framework in the system of
universal health care in Canada. Within that
framework, the government has created nursing laws
in order to protect the public.
In all provinces in Canada the question "What is Nursing?" is answered by a legal definition which is contained within
the legislation that regulates nursing practice.
Why is it important to have a legal definition of "What is Nursing"
In all provinces nurses must carry liability insurance. This insurance is provided by the regulatory provincial nursing organization as a condition of
license renewal. This insurance would only be valid if the nurse
was practicing nursing. If it was proven in a court that the nurse was not practising nursing and
that is what caused the harm to a client, then the malpractice insurance would not be in effect.
How is nursing different from the practice of Medicine?
Aren't nurses just junior doctors with less education?
The nursing profession is an autonomous profession in Canada. Nurses engage in
collaborative nursing practice with other
health care providers, such a physicians but are not directed in their practice by another profession.
Nursing practice and medical practice share a common knowledge base but approach their practice from different perspectives.
Physicians are concerned with a diagnosis. Doctors seek to
define the medical diagnosis because the diagnosis provides the direction for the medical care plan.
If a patient is not yet diagnosed a physician does tests and diagnostic studies to rule out all the
possible things that might be wrong and get to the specific diagnosis.
Nursing practice on the other hand is wholly concerned with the response of the client. Nurses seek to
gather more and more information about the client to completely understand the interaction of the
physical, environmental, social and emotional factors that are contributing to the client's response.
Just like Florence Nightingale originally wrote, nursing care is directed towards working with the client to
manipulate, strengthen, or support all of those factors so that
"...the patient is in the best condition for nature to act upon him."
Go from What is Nursing? to Nursing Scope of Practice.
Go back to the Nursing Profession is Regulated by Nursing Laws in Canada
