Nurses work alongside other medical health professionals to promote healthy living, prevent disease, and help people dealing with all sorts of illnesses, from chronic to acute. In 2022, roughly 419 thousand Canadian nurses were working on the frontlines of healthcare, helping people heal, cope, and treat disease.
They are often the first to see patients, and perform all sorts of tasks such as:
- Observation
- Assessments
- Recording symptoms and intake
- Administering medications
- Monitoring patient recovery
- Performing medical exams
Of course, if you were to ask a nurse what they do, they would likely say a lot more than that. Those who work in the nursing industry are often the lifeblood of healthcare, putting in the hours to take care of those who need it most.
Depending on where their passion lies, there are various types of nurses and specialties people can get involved in, each as important as the last when looking at the complete picture of healthcare in Canada.
Types of nurses
In Canada, people looking to join the league of nurses can choose from four different types, all of which require different training and schooling avenues. The four types are: