Nurses are continually confronted with the mind-body dualism of every human being. For many professionals and lay persons, health care and medical care is synonymous. They are not. Medical care focuses on diagnosis and treatment of disease or pathology and is delivered by licensed professionals. For example, dentists, physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors and nurses.
Health care is oriented toward promoting and maintaining health, with an emphasis on prevention.
Its delivery is not limited to licensed professional practitioners. This is not because they inherently feel that way, but because of the pressure of the cost vs. benefit analysis in patient care that is superimposed on them. Today, May 6, is Nurses Day, a day to celebrate those people who play a most important role in medical and health care today. The nurse, the ever present care giver, is key to promoting the integrity of each human being in the health network system. Nursing has always used the approach that health is a state relevant to the goals that individuals formulate for themselves.