ABSTRACT
The Nurses Act 1949 implemented some of the less contentious issues of the Wood Report, widening the remit of the GNC and establishing Area Nurse Training Committees. The 1950s saw a major affirmation of the profession's stand, in a report from an external body. Paradoxically, this period also saw the start of the North American nursing influence, which challenged the confidence of this tradition. This chapter examines the paradox, and bring to light the different views, their underlying presuppositions, and their crucial effects on the development of nursing. In her introduction, Farnworth commented on the low status of British nursing before Nightingale's reforms, but did not discuss the part moral values played in the change. An investigation examined the 'present' task of the nurse, and compared it to what was considered to be the 'proper' task of the nurse. The moral quality of the nurse continued to be fundamental.
