[The nursing profession in the 21st century]

The present article presents the sociological analysis of the nursing profession, focussing the specificities of the profession on the basis of the component elements of a profession, according to the theoretical system of the sociology of professions. At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the new millennium, nursing faces crucial questions for the profession, which bring back the need to restructure the strategic considerations that make up the political agenda of the nursing profession. Specific knowledge, professional qualification, particularities of the work process, monopoly of the professional exercise, and the configuration of the hierarchy of the nursing team are some of the items dealt within this article. As one of the essential professions in the health area, nursing needs to reach the next century with a new perspective, knowing how and in which conditions it will develop in a context of paradigmatic changes. Considering this new context, a political agenda for nursing professionals will have to contemplate the several aspects that make up a profession, that is, specific knowledge, exclusive labor market, form of organization, among others.