In 1901, New Zealand became the first country in the world to pass legislation requiring registration for nurses. New Zealand native Ellen Dougherty, matron of Palmerston North Hospital, became the first Registered Nurse in the world on January 10th, 1902. Her medal is still kept at the Nurses Chapel in Wellington Hospital, the location where

Nurse instructors, also called nurse educators, straddle the line between academic and clinical expertise. Certified nurse educators train registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in a variety of academic settings. They typically are employed as on-campus or online professors and instructors at four-year colleges and universities, community colleges and career schools, or as clinical faculty

Known as the “mother of authentic midwifery,” Ina May Gaskin is a famous midwife who is a the founder and director of the Farm Midwifery Center in Tennessee. The Farm Midwifery Center specializes in prenatal care, support during labor and delivery, and postpartum supervision. This unique center is run by seven midwives and has helped

Nurse managers play pivotal roles in hospitals or health care facilities. They perform dual roles as providers of clinical care and administrative leaders of nursing departments, guiding and directing their colleagues in order to maintain harmony and efficiency in the workplace. History’s most famous nurse, Florence Nightingale, worked as a nurse manager and trainer during

Clinical nurses, also known as clinical nurse specialists, are advanced practice nurses who have completed postsecondary education at the graduate or doctoral level and earned specialty certifications pertinent to their area of practice. They provide a high level of care to patients, as well as a high level of insight and guidance to other nurses

According to Merriam-Webster, “pediatrics” is “a branch of medicine dealing with the development, care, and diseases of infants, children, and adolescents.” Knowing this, you might be able to guess that pediatric nurses are nurses who take care of children, and you would be correct! Pediatric nurses are specialized RNs who are certified to care for

Nursing assistants, also called nursing aides or certified nursing assistants (CNA), provide hands-on care for patients in nursing homes, hospitals and long-term care facilities. Their role first originated back in WWI, when the American Red Cross formed the Volunteer Nurses’ Aide Service. Young women were trained by this program so they could assist working nurses, who

If you’ve ever had surgery, chances are you’ve encountered a nurse anesthetist. For over 150 years, nurse anesthetists have been providing relief to suffering patients in the United States; as of 2016, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) reported that nurse anesthetists were administering anesthesia approximately 43 million times each year in the U.S.

Nurse practitioners play an important role in the U.S. health care system — as of 2017, Americans logged more than 870 million annual visits to nurse practitioners, looking for cures to a whole host of issues and illnesses. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more than 166,200 licensed nurse practitioners working

Licensed practical nurses (known as licensed vocational nurses, or LVNs, in California and Texas) play an integral role in the healthcare system. While LPNs aren’t certified to provide the same level of care as registered nurses, they still perform many key responsibilities and care functions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were just