As members of the largest healthcare profession, the nation's 3.1 million nurses work in diverse settings and fields and are front-line providers of healthcare services. Although most nurses work in critical care settings such as hospitals, nurses' skills and expertise extend well beyond hospital walls. Working independently and with other health professionals, nurses promote the health of individuals, families and communities. Millions of Americans turn to nurses to provide primary health care services and health education. and healthcare counseling and consultation. Nurses represent a fundamental link in maintaining a cutting-edge healthcare system. Nursing continues to be an indispensable service to the American public. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay At home, nurses continued to provide essential services to the civilian population. The nursing profession has consistently demonstrated its ability to adapt to changing and diverse healthcare needs. It remains an extremely popular and highly respected profession attracting large numbers of new recruits to its ranks. There is no doubt that nursing will continue to maintain its status as an extremely important profession, serving the health needs of the nation. Today, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and other specialty area nurses are well established and perform a significant portion of healthcare activities. AND (Associate Degree in Nursing) and BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). Demand for nursing remains high, and projections suggest that demand will increase substantially. Advances in healthcare technology, increasing expectations of people seeking care, and the reorganization of healthcare systems require greater numbers of highly educated professionals. Demographic changes, such as the strong aging of the population in many countries around the world, also fuel this demand. In some countries, however, men still remain significantly underrepresented. Hospitals established their own nursing training schools. In exchange for lectures and clinical instruction, students provided the hospital with two to three years of free skilled nursing care. This hospital-based educational model has had significant long-term implications. It tied nurse training to hospitals rather than universities, a link that was not finally broken until the second half of the 20th century. The hospital training model has also reinforced segregation in society and the healthcare system. For example, African American student nurses were barred from nearly all American hospitals and training schools. They could seek training only in schools established by African American hospitals. Most importantly, the hospital training model reinforced cultural stereotypes of nursing as women's work. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Only a few hospitals have provided training to maintain men's traditional roles within nursing. When you think about becoming a nurse, you may think about the excitement and opportunities to make a difference in someone's life. Both of these things can be true about working as a nurse. But breastfeeding isn't like you see on television. Everything is fine.. .