Whither nursing in the 21st century?

There is no doubt that the role of the nurse in New Zealand will continue to evolve. Developments in the US where clinical nurse specialists and advanced nurse practitioners are taking on roles and responsibilities that in New Zealand are undertaken by other health professionals, mainly medical, will ultimately permeate the New Zealand health care system. Today the nurse practitioner has a greater degree of professional independence than at any time in the history of the profession, and, if the recommendations of the taskforce are accepted and nurse prescribing eventuates, the nurse will have even greater independence and autonomy. With this increased professional independence comes a greater emphasis on the responsibilities of the nurse and professional accountability. The acceptance of greater responsibility will inevitably result in a proliferation of nurse "specialists". Postgraduate programmes must be established with carefully planned curricula to accommodate the requirements of these nurse specialists. Planning, content and design of these programmes must come from nurses in consultation with the Nursing Council, the Ministries of Health and Education, and health agencies. The functioning of the human species within their environment, in both wellness and illness, can only be adequately explained or explored with a sound knowledge of biological systems. It is for this reason that the study of biological sciences must be undertaken by nursing students to prepare them for the advanced role they are likely to play in the health care system of the 21st century.