Changes in practice nursing: professionalism, segmentation and sponsorship.

In the wake of recent government policies and legislation, practice nursing has undergone major changes. Not least of these has been the rapid growth in the number of practice nurses. In addition, their work role has grown greatly over recent years. This has given rise to the question of whether their professional development now justifies their status as autonomous nurse practitioners. This and related issues are explored in the empirical part of this paper, which focuses on the changes in the work and responsibilities of practice nurses in two industrial towns in the English Midlands.