Conflict and consensus in the International Council of Nurses.

In this article we argue that the International Council of Nurses' (ICN) identity changed in response to external pressure that took the form of particular moments of crisis. We address one of these crises, the expulsion of the South African Nurses' Association (SANA), as a case study in the politics of identity and consider its implications for the historical evolution of the ICN as an international organisation more generally.