Nursing and Healthcare

Occupational health nursing is a specialized field within nursing that emphasizes delivering health and safety programs to individuals, groups, and communities. This profession concentrates on promoting, maintaining, and restoring health, preventing illness and injury, and safeguarding against work-related and environmental hazards. Occupational health nurses (OHNs) aim to blend health and business expertise to ensure a balance between safe, healthy environments and a financially sound operation. OHNs are found in various healthcare settings and play a role in research initiatives and applying evidence-based practices in clinical settings.

• Community and workforce well-being
• Injury prevention and protection

A community comprises individuals residing, working, and attending school in a specific area. Within the community context, community health nursing, also known as public health nursing or community nursing, blends primary healthcare with nursing practice. Community health (CH) nurses cater to the health needs of communities or populations through the delivery of healthcare services, preventive measures, interventions, and health education. This field incorporates evidence-based research, scientific advancements, and innovative approaches to promote health. When interacting with community members, cultural and socioeconomic factors are considered to ensure appropriate communication and sensitivity. Community health nursing is a form of nursing that finds applications in both urban and rural settings.

• Preventive care
• Provision of healthcare services
• Community education

Evidence-based nursing (EBN) is a methodology for making informed decisions and delivering nursing care based on a combination of personal clinical expertise and the most current and pertinent research available. This approach is firmly rooted in the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP). In nursing, evidence-based practice (EBP) involves integrating research findings, clinical experience, and patient preferences to deliver individualized patient care. Nurses are encouraged to employ this problem-solving method in their clinical practice, ensuring that patient care is tailored to specific needs. EBP equips nurses with the scientific evidence required to make well-founded decisions and stay updated on the latest medical procedures for patient care.

• Evidence-based practice

Ambulatory care nursing involves the provision of nursing care to patients treated as outpatients, meaning they do not require an overnight hospital stay. This encompasses clinical, organizational, and professional responsibilities that registered nurses undertake on behalf of individuals, groups, and communities seeking to enhance their health or address health issues. Ambulatory emergency care (AEC) was introduced as a means to deliver emergency care outside traditional hospital beds. AEC operates within clinic settings, allowing it to function efficiently even during periods of high bed occupancy, alleviating bed shortages and ensuring prompt care for selected patients. Ambulatory care nurses rely on evidence-based practices in various outpatient healthcare settings to prioritize patient safety, maintain care quality, and enhance patient outcomes.

• Emergency care
• Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Pediatric nursing is a specialized area of nursing dedicated to the healthcare and treatment of children, spanning from infancy to adolescence. This field holds significant importance because children's health is distinct from that of adults due to the ongoing growth and development during childhood. Pediatric nurses frequently collaborate within multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals to deliver optimal medical care for children. Their role involves closely monitoring the health of young patients, providing care, and offering support during their treatment. This may encompass administering pediatric vaccinations or ensuring that children adhere to their vaccination schedules. Additionally, pediatric nurses engage in effective communication with both children and their families, explaining their health conditions and treatment procedures.

• Neonatal Nursing
• Pediatric Oncology Nursing
• Child Neurology Nursing
• Infant Nursing

Nursing places a distinct focus on the field of psychiatric mental health nursing. Psychiatric nurses are highly trained professionals responsible for the mental and physical well-being of individuals diagnosed with mental disorders or behavioral issues. Psychiatric mental health registered nurses assess the mental health requirements of individuals, families, groups, and communities. They formulate nursing diagnoses, develop care plans, and then execute and evaluate the nursing process. These nurses assist individuals of various age groups coping with mental illnesses or emotional distress, including conditions such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, suicidal tendencies, psychosis, paranoia, and self-harm. In this field, nurses receive education on psychological therapies, establishing therapeutic relationships, managing challenging behaviors, and administering psychiatric medications.

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing
• Psychiatric Nurses
• Neurological Nursing

Midwifery is a healthcare profession dedicated to women's sexual and reproductive well-being across their life stages, encompassing pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, including the care of new-born’s. Historically, midwives were often women who, after attending the births of their neighbours or family members, became skilled in midwifery. The practice of midwifery is deeply ingrained in various cultures worldwide, and the specific standards and education for midwives can vary by country.

Women's health encompasses a wide range of gender-specific issues, including estrogen production, mental health, sexual health, and fertility concerns. As women experience significant changes in their reproductive systems, their mental and physical states undergo considerable transformations. Hormonal shifts following menopause can also pose health challenges for certain women.

• Mental health of midwives
• Pregnancy risk factors
• Postpartum depression
• Maternal mortality

Research is a rigorous inquiry, investigation, or experimentation aimed at uncovering and interpreting facts, revising established theories or laws based on new evidence, or applying these revised theories or laws practically. Nursing research is a scientific process that scrutinizes and enhances existing knowledge while creating new knowledge to enhance clinical nursing practice, both directly and indirectly. It is evidence-based research that bolsters nursing practices, focusing on the systematic examination and assessment of nursing issues or phenomena, the development of innovative studies to advance nursing practice and patient care, the initiation and assessment of change, and the implementation of new findings in nursing effectively. Nursing Research and Practice encompass all aspects of nursing and midwifery.

• Qualitative Research in Nursing
• Midwifery

An Oncology nurse specializes in the care of individuals with cancer. Oncology nursing involves attending to the comprehensive needs of cancer patients throughout their illness journey, which includes screenings, preventive measures, symptom management, support for maintaining normal functioning, and end-of-life care. Oncology nurses work in various settings, including hospitals, outpatient care centers, clinics, private practices, and long-term care facilities. Their responsibilities encompass a wide spectrum, from prevention and early detection to various treatment modalities (surgical, radiation, and medical oncology), symptom control, and palliative care. These nurses must effectively manage the diverse side effects associated with cancer and its treatment. They need proficiency in both pharmacological and non-pharmacological nursing interventions and a keen understanding of when to apply each.

• Exploring the Role of Nurses in Cancer Care

Perinatal nursing is synonymous with obstetrical nursing, where nurses play a crucial role in various aspects of women's reproductive health. Obstetrical nurses are involved in providing prenatal care and testing, addressing pregnancy complications, assisting with childbirth and delivery, and offering postpartum care. Obstetrics is a medical branch focused on the healthcare and treatment of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the phases preceding and following delivery. In surgical units, obstetrical nurses also perform postoperative care, stress test assessments, cardiac and vascular monitoring, and health evaluations. They oversee patient care technicians and surgical technologists in these settings. Additionally, gynecology, which concerns disorders of reproductive organs like the uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix, ovaries, and vagina, falls within the purview of gynecological nursing, addressing a wide range of women's health issues.

• Advancements in Perinatal Nursing
• Maternal Healthcare

Critical and Intensive Care Nursing is dedicated to empowering specialized nurses to deliver exceptional care to patients in critical conditions. Intensive care nursing is a specialized field within nursing that prioritizes providing optimal care to critically ill or unstable patients who have experienced significant injuries, undergone major surgeries, or are grappling with life-threatening illnesses. These healthcare professionals typically oversee the care of critically ill patients who may require interventions such as endotracheal intubation, titratable vasoactive intravenous medications, or mechanical ventilation. Critical care nurses can be found in various settings, including general intensive care units, surgical intensive care units, medical intensive care units, cardiothoracic intensive care units, trauma intensive care units, coronary care units, burns units, pediatrics, and certain trauma center emergency departments.

• ICU nurses
• Practices in critical care nursing
• The role of ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic

Public health nursing harnesses knowledge from nursing, social, and public health sciences to advance and safeguard the well-being of populations. A registered nurse (RN) advocating for transformative shifts in community health is recognized as a public health nurse. Professionals in this captivating field actively involve themselves within communities, imparting knowledge and equipping individuals with the tools to enhance their health. Through community education and on-site healthcare services, public health nurses significantly contribute to ameliorating population health outcomes. Their mission is to champion public health.

• Public health nursing's role during a pandemic
• Guidelines and standards in nursing practice

Health promotion involves empowering individuals to enhance their control over health and its determinants by fostering health literacy and engaging in multisectoral initiatives to promote healthy behaviours. It encompasses activities aimed at the broader community or populations at heightened risk of adverse health outcomes. Health promotion commonly addresses behavioral risk factors like tobacco use, obesity, diet, physical inactivity, and also extends to mental health, injury prevention, drug abuse prevention, alcohol control, health behaviors related to HIV, and sexual health.

While disease prevention and health promotion share similar objectives, there is substantial overlap in their functions. On a conceptual level, disease prevention services primarily operate within the healthcare sector, while health promotion services rely on intersectoral collaboration and address social determinants of health.

A rehabilitation nurse is a specialized healthcare professional who focuses on supporting patients dealing with impairments and chronic conditions to attain their best possible level of function, health, and adjustment to their lifestyle. These nurses facilitate patients' progression toward greater independence by helping them set realistic goals and develop treatment plans. Often, they coordinate patient care and team activities within a multidisciplinary healthcare team. Rehabilitation nurses play a crucial role in restoring and sustaining functionality while preventing potential issues. They offer education, counseling, and case management services to patients and their families, serving as advocates and occasionally contributing to research to enhance rehabilitation practices.

• Patient education
• Enhancing adaptive capabilities