Pluralism, professionalism and politics in nursing.

This paper describes the pluralist nature of the nursing society and highlights the different and often conflicting objectives of the several interest groups. In the second section the paper describes how the Royal College of Nursing dealt with these difficulties during the years 1948-61. The paper ends with a discussion of the present and future position in policy making with particular reference to the position of the Rcn as the nurses' professional organisation.