Nursing the future: a re-examination of the professionalization thesis in the light of some recent developments

It is now 6 years since Salvage's (1988) analysis of the position of nursing within the professionalization process; this was written in the light of the aspirations of Project 2000. Recently there have been several significant policy statements from the United Kingdom Central Council which appear to be pursuing professional status despite Salvage's contention that nursing's leaders know 'that full professional status for nursing cannot be achieved'. Elements of these statements are discussed in relation to the professionalization thesis. Using the examples of nurse prescribing and managerialism, it is argued that the deprofessionalization thesis is more appropriate to nursing since the ideals of autonomy, authority and status are being eroded in the new managerialist post-Griffiths National Health Service culture. A positive deprofessionalization notion is put forward which highlights and re-emphasizes the caring role through the new occupational strategy of Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).