Providing care for an individual is a privilege. 'Formal care' is provided by a number of community agencies in the form of health care, social care, spiritual care and community care. Nursing is often cited as a 'caring' profession by its members and the wider community. Why has the profession been 'labelled' in this way? You will examine the historical and philosophical foundations that underpin nursing in an attempt to address this question. It will be asserted that the impacts of war, the industrial revolution, the rise of feminism, the communication age and the global village have provided significant contributions to the development of nursing. The impacts of these foundations, on contemporary practice, will be explored and you will undertake some 'crystal ball gazing' activities in an effort to predict future contributions of the profession to the health of the community.

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