A Matter of Extinction or Distinction

Abstract

In view of fiscal constraints and the increasingly technical environments of health care, the essential and unique contributions of all health care providers, including nurses, are being challenged. This article examines current challenges to the role of nurses and the future of nursing as a unique discipline. As the work of nurses becomes increasingly defined by the technologies of care, what will distinguish nursing from other disciplines and nurses from other care providers? Can nurses lay claim to uniqueness in their knowledge base, technical competencies, and caring behaviors? Other types of workers are increasingly rendering elements of clinical care traditionally provided by nurses. As we move into the next millennium, will nursing become extinct or distinct as a health care profession?