Nurses (United States)

Nurses (United States)
Name	Nurses (United States)
Occupation	Nursing professionals
Known for	Patient care, public health, clinical practice

Nurses (United States) are licensed healthcare professionals who provide patient care, health promotion, disease prevention, and clinical management across settings. American nurses include a range of roles from bedside clinicians to advanced practice providers who work in hospitals, clinics, public health agencies, schools, military units, and research institutions. They are educated through accredited programs, regulated by state boards, and organized by professional associations that influence policy, practice, and workforce standards.

Overview and Definitions

The term covers registered nurses trained in academic programs and licensed by state boards such as the National Council of State Boards of Nursing; licensed practical nurses who complete vocational programs and pass the National Council Licensure Examination; and advanced practice nurses including Nurse practitioner, Clinical nurse specialist, Certified nurse-midwife, and Nurse anesthetist (notably associated with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists). Roles intersect with institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Red Cross, and academic centers such as Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Scope definitions are shaped by legislation such as state nursing practice acts and by federal entities including the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Education and Licensure

Nursing education pathways include diplomas from hospital-based programs, associate degrees from community colleges like Los Angeles City College, bachelor of science programs at universities such as University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, and graduate programs (MSN, DNP, PhD) at institutions like Columbia University School of Nursing and University of Michigan School of Nursing. Licensure requires passage of the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, with some employers and payers recognizing certification from bodies like the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Continuing education often involves professional development through the American Nurses Association, specialty accreditations from organizations such as the Oncology Nursing Society, and academic partnerships with research entities like the National Institutes of Health.

Scope of Practice and Specializations

Nurses practice across specialties including Critical care nursing at centers like Cleveland Clinic, Emergency nursing in municipal systems such as New York City Health + Hospitals, Pediatric nursing at children's hospitals like Boston Children's Hospital, Geriatric nursing in long-term care facilities affiliated with organizations like the American Health Care Association, Psychiatric nursing in systems governed by state mental health departments, and Public health nursing at local health departments and agencies like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Advanced practice roles—Family nurse practitioner, Acute care nurse practitioner, Neonatal nurse practitioner, and Certified registered nurse anesthetist—often require national certification from bodies including the American Nurses Credentialing Center and recognition by hospitals such as Johns Hopkins Hospital and systems like Kaiser Permanente.

Workforce Demographics and Employment Settings

The nursing workforce in the United States includes clinicians employed by hospital systems such as HCA Healthcare, public agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service, outpatient networks like Mayo Clinic Health System, academic medical centers such as Stanford Health Care, and federal responders like Federal Emergency Management Agency deployments. Demographics reflect diversity initiatives promoted by organizations like the National Black Nurses Association, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, and the American Assembly for Men in Nursing; data are tracked by agencies including the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Health Resources and Services Administration. Employment settings include acute care at institutions such as Mount Sinai Hospital (New York), ambulatory care in systems like Geisinger Health System, home health agencies, school systems such as the New York City Department of Education, and military medical units including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Regulation, Licensing Boards, and Professional Organizations

Regulation is primarily state-based via entities such as the California Board of Registered Nursing, the Texas Board of Nursing, and the Florida Board of Nursing, with credentialing frameworks coordinated by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Federal policy influencers include the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Veterans Health Administration. Major professional organizations include the American Nurses Association, the National League for Nursing, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and specialty groups such as the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, Emergency Nurses Association, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the Oncology Nursing Society.

History and Evolution of Nursing in the United States

Nursing in the United States evolved from early figures like Clara Barton and the American Red Cross, through influences of Florence Nightingale-era reforms adopted by institutions such as Bellevue Hospital and Pennsylvania Hospital, to professionalization driven by leaders including Isabel Hampton Robb, Lavina Dock, and organizations like the National League for Nursing. The profession expanded during conflicts involving the American Civil War, World War I, and World War II with service through groups such as the Army Nurse Corps and Navy Nurse Corps, and later shaped by policy milestones like the Hill-Burton Act and programs from the National Institutes of Health. Nursing education shifted from apprenticeship to university-based degrees at schools such as Yale School of Nursing and University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, while civil rights and labor movements influenced workforce diversity and unionization in settings including SEIU Healthcare and collective actions at large health systems like NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Category:Nursing in the United States