Health is the state of maximum potential. Maximum potential varies from person to person and does not mean you are free from illness or injury. A person with a chronic illness may not be able to completely free themselves from the illness, however, with the assistance of nursing they can be considered healthy when they are in the healthiest shape possible. Virginia Henderson defines health as independence, however I believe it does not have to be complete independence, but rather the maximum independence a person is capable of achieving. A nurse's ultimate goal should be to facilitate the patient's health goals, encouraging them to exceed them, if realistic. Health is a continuum and can constantly change with the goal of regaining and maintaining health as quickly and for as long as possible. Then there is the person to take care of. A person is someone who needs nursing care. A person is made up of many parts including the mind, spirituality and body. The nurse is responsible for caring for all of these parts as considering the whole person is essential to facilitate healing. The nurse may also have to care for the patient's family and community. The family being in a healthy emotional state may be what is needed for the patient's improvement. Caring for the community can help prevent disease and detect it. Prevention and early diagnosis allow for faster recovery