A nurse is anyone who has undergone the prescribed type and length of education and training and certified by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria or by some other authority acceptable to the council as professionally qualified to practice nursing. We were in the days of over-specialization and compartmentalization of areas of function. That is why today, we still have "nurses" who were trained and are still being trained only as "midwives" or "psychiatric nurses". The current concept of the nurse, displaying the mentality of the pigeon-holed professional, is a versatile nurse, able to apply effectively her scientific and professional knowledge in any setting that has implication for health. This calls for less specialization so that nurses are able to cope with all kinds of health-related issues. This disposition derives from the realization of the complex nature of health and the factors that affect it, demanding extensive and simply rather than intensive but limited services and orientation of those who are to facilitate health. This is the bedrock of primary healthcare which advocates "polyvalent" or "generalist" healthcare providers.