How many nursing aims are there?

• A. 3
• B. 4
• C. 5
• D. 6

Answer: (B)

Nursing aims are four broad goals that guide how care is planned and delivered. They are: promoting health, preventing illness, restoring health, and relieving suffering.

Promoting health means helping individuals and communities stay well through education, healthy choices, and resources that support well-being. Preventing illness involves actions like early detection, immunization, and reducing risk factors to keep people healthier longer. Restoring health covers activities that help patients recover after illness or injury, regain function, and resume independence. Relieving suffering focuses on comfort, pain management, and providing emotional and spiritual support, including palliative or end-of-life care when needed.

These four together cover the full spectrum of nursing care—from keeping people healthy to helping them recover and to ensuring comfort at the end of life. If a count differs, it would either miss one essential area or blur overlaps among these fundamental aims.