Healthcare professionals trained to care for sick or injured people, typically working in hospitals or clinics.
From Old French 'nourice', from Latin 'nutricia' meaning nourishing woman. Originally meant wet nurse or caregiver for children, expanded to professional medical care in the 19th century.
Florence Nightingale revolutionized nursing during the Crimean War by emphasizing hygiene and statistics - she created the first pie charts to visualize death rates, proving that more soldiers died from poor sanitation than battle wounds.
Nursing became feminized in the late 19th century after Florence Nightingale's reforms, establishing it as 'women's work' despite male physicians dominating medicine. Pay and status reflect this gendered hierarchy.
Use 'nurses' when accurate; the term itself is neutral. However, note that nursing remains 88% female despite recruitment efforts, reflecting ongoing occupational segregation and wage suppression.
Florence Nightingale and early nurses revolutionized healthcare and workers' rights; modern nurses—especially women of color—continue fighting for fair wages and recognition as skilled clinicians, not subordinate helpers.
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