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This publication presents the text of a speech on nursing, stressing current trends and changes in the role of nursing and therefore in nursing education. Beginning by recalling the reasons many entered nursing in the past and the expectations of those workers, going on to look at the many issues of accountability that accompany the health professions in general and the nursing profession in particular, the speech then addresses the current issues facing the profession. These include recent salary levels, a late 1980s trend in professional nursing associations to "market" the profession more vigorously, and the recession and its effects. In response to these recent trends, the speech calls for nursing education to take place in institutions that are part of the higher education system so that nursing preparation will require an associate or baccalaureate degree and so that all nurses learn management skills. In conclusion lessons from the past are noted including a warning against the tendency to reorganize to handle problems rather than organizing to create an ideal vision. In addition, the speaker admonishes opposing groups to accept compromise and to work together to make decisions and take risks. Included are five references. (JB)