New-wave nursing: back to the basics?

The experience of nurse leaders in a multi-institutional system from the initial stages of deliberation to the concluding consensus to commit to an extensive restructuring project is described in this article. Significant factors in evaluating the potential for success or failure of such a project are described, and the impact of restructuring on nursing practice is considered. Change is inevitable; restructuring is an appropriate way to accomplish change, and leadership may direct the change to create something new while also preserving nursing's strengths.