Re-thinking the law, and challenging its traditional role in nursing's affairs: a strategy for professional reform.

Nurses world wide have regarded the law as a powerful tool of professional reform, and have historically looked to the law (its system and processes) to enhance and advance their professional goals. Nevertheless, the nursing profession still has not achieved its ultimate goals. To this day, nurses lack legitimated status as autonomous professionals, and are still burdened with enormous responsibility without the authority to match it. Given that the law is such a powerful tool of professional reform, the question must be asked at this point of nursing history: Why has the nursing profession not received the legal remedies it has sought in its quest to gain legitimated freedom from the subordinate and oppressed position it has historically occupied? In this paper, an attempt will be made to answer this question.