The practice of nursing is described as health promotion and care undertaken by which means to attain or maintain optimal function?

• A. Supportive, preventive, therapeutic, palliative and rehabilitative means
• B. Surgical interventions only
• C. Pharmacological treatment only
• D. Emergency medicine procedures

Answer: (A)

Nursing practice centers on helping people achieve and maintain the highest possible level of function through a broad range of actions. This includes health promotion—teaching and supporting healthy choices; prevention—screening and immunization to stop problems before they start; therapeutic care—planning, monitoring, and delivering treatments and coordinating care to support recovery; palliative measures—relieving pain and suffering whenever cure isn’t possible; and rehabilitation—assisting patients to regain independence and adapt to changing abilities. Together these modalities form a comprehensive approach that addresses physical, emotional, and social well-being across the lifespan. Other options describe only a single aspect—surgical interventions, drugs, or emergency procedures—not the full spectrum of nursing care aimed at optimizing function.