Because all human beings influence and are influenced by their environment, all must assume the responsibility to protect the social and natural environments that they share. Health is a dynamic state influenced by individual, environmental, and hereditary factors. State of health, which significantly influences quality of life, is shaped by many factors, including an individual's decision-making and behaviors. Pursuit of wellness is the right and responsibility of each person. Nursing holds the potential to strengthen each human being pursuing optimal health and achieving a harmony of body, mind, and spirit.
Nursing is a profession that continues to evolve through research, theory, and practice.
Professional nursing, encompassing a range of therapeutic interventions aimed at promoting and restoring health, addresses actual and potential health care needs of individuals, families, groups, and communities. Nursing care is delivered in diverse settings in a systematic manner through use of the nursing process. In providing their professional services, practitioners of nursing manifest role dimensions that are collaborative and independent in nature. Because dynamic social forces influence the nature and scope of nursing practice, critical thinking, effective communication, and caring are abilities required for professional nursing practice in changing environments. As a profession, nursing adheres to standards of practice and ethical codes as a means of ensuring quality care for all persons.