The person can be best understood within the context of the family system which is the mode of transmission of life, values, beliefs, culture, and customs. In mutual interaction with the environment, the person is capable of growth and development, self-direction, change and goal directed behavior. Environment encompasses the social and physical surroundings and is all the conditions and circumstances that influence the development and behavior of the individual. Wellness is the realization of the highest functional potential for wholeness and well-being, while illness is any alteration in health which produces dysfunction or the potential for dysfunction. The perceptions of health are determined by society and by the person.
Health is influenced by the person's heredity, environment, and lifestyle.
Professionals in the health care system have the responsibility to provide clients whether individuals, families, groups, or communities with the necessary information and support to make decisions about health. The client ultimately has the right and responsibility to make decisions and set goals concerning the client's own health. The goal of nursing is the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of wellness of individuals, families, groups, and communities. Nursing involves the use of self in development of the nurse-client relationship and in the performance of health related activities. The essence of nursing is caring.