Nurses also provide education to promote health and prevent injury and illness.
Nurses use special knowledge and skills to monitor their patient's conditions, give them medications and treatments prescribed by a physician, and provide education so that patients can care for themselves at home. Nurses consider the emotional and mental aspects of health as well as the physical aspects. Nurses direct and supervise nursing support personnel. Nurses may work in a specialty area such as intensive care, surgery, obstetrics, or with special populations such as children or the elderly. Nurses work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, physician's offices, community clinics, nursing homes, and rehabilitation facilities.