The future of oncology nursing. A historical perspective.

This article provides a perspective on the history of oncology nursing and the technologic and societal factors that have impacted on the development of this specialty. This article attempts to raise issues that will confront the profession of nursing as it moves into the twenty-first century. I hope that the comments and questions about the future made in this article will challenge nurses to participate in charting a preferred future for the profession of nursing in the twenty-first century.