Nursing: whose discipline is it anyway?

Nursing is variously described as a profession, a discipline, an occupation. The meanings we assign to such words and the expectations, demands, and responsibilities that each reveals to and/or exacts from those of us privileged to call ourselves registered nurse provides a splendid arena for viewing the struggle of nursing as an intellectual endeavor embedded in its own distinctive knowledge base, experiences, purposes, and values. Currently, pressure exerted within and without nursing to adopt the self-limiting potential and subordinated position that a professional discipline orientation and applied degree education confer on nursing is mounting. This article examines the relationships among historical events, contemporary influences, and confounding definitions that are integral to how we choose to guide and shape the evolution of nursing scholarship, practice, and education. The authors contend that the full significance of these relationships must be appreciated if nursing is to advance as a scholarly academic discipline and practice profession.