Health professional

A Health professional (pronounced: /ˈhɛlθ prəˈfɛʃənəl/) refers to a person who provides preventive, curative, promotional, or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to people, families, or communities. The term is a broad one, encompassing a variety of health care practitioners, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and many others. The etymology of the term "health professional" is derived from the Old English "hǣlth" (health) and the Latin "professio" (profession).

Physicians

A physician (pronounced: /fɪˈzɪʃən/) is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining, or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments. Physicians may focus on certain disease categories, types of patients, and methods of treatment—known as specialties.

Nurses

A nurse (pronounced: /nɜːrs/) is a health professional within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health care providers by their approach to patient care, training, and scope of practice.

Pharmacists

A pharmacist (pronounced: /ˈfɑːrməsɪst/) is a health professional who practices in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use. Pharmacists undergo university-level education to understand the biochemical mechanisms and actions of drugs, drug uses, therapeutic roles, side effects, potential drug interactions, and monitoring parameters.

Related terms

Health care: The organized provision of medical care to individuals or a community.
Medicine: The science and practice of establishing the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.
Pharmacy: The health science that links medical science with chemistry and it is charged with the discovery, production, disposal, safe and effective use, and control of medications and drugs.