Educating the nursing profession for role transformation

This article proposes the use of a role transformation model to facilitate the assumption of more progressive attitudes and more autonomous, responsible behavior by nurses. Five major areas of content which need to be addressed in the role transformation process are detailed: 1) Defining and Articulating the Nursing Domain, 2) Legitimizing the Nursing Profession, 3) Communicating in Professional rather than Non-professional Modes, 4) Negotiating Collaborative Roles, and 5) Cultivating the Organizational Network. Emphasis is placed on the responsibility of nursing educators to model and facilitate role transformation for students and nursing colleagues.