The practice of professional nursing is the systematic application of specialized knowledge and skill, derived from the biological, physical, and behavioral sciences to the care, treatment, counsel and health teaching of individuals who are experiencing changes in normal health processes or who require assistance in the maintenance of health and the prevention or management of illness, injury or disability. This practice demonstrates the application of the Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice and Standards of Professional Performance defined by the American Nurses Association. Each patient is recognized as a unique individual with the right to quality nursing care that ensures mutual goal setting between the Registered Nurse and the patient, while assuring patient rights and privacy are protected. The nursing process facilitates the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of an individual's health, incorporating knowledge of growth and development through the life span.