Nurses across the six sites of the NHS care for a staggering 500,000 patients/clients each year, for overnight hospital stays, day or inpatient surgery and numerous clinics. The 1,800 Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses working at the NHS are the health care providers patients see most often during their hospital stay. And when it comes to the most trusted and respected professionals in Canada, nurses consistently rank as number one.