In this essay we will explore the connection between professional nursing practice and professional nursing. I will outline the terms of professional nursing practice and what makes nursing a profession? I will describe the term professional care and the connection to nursing practice and discuss the dilemma between care and cure. And also determine the importance of both in professional nursing practice. Professional nursing practice has developed over several centuries. Nursing as a profession can be traced back to the early Christian era. Since then, perceptions of nursing practice have changed significantly. “Nursing is care, commitment, and dedication to meeting the functional health needs of all people” (Craven & Hirnle, 2009, p. 32). First of all I want to find out if nursing is actually a profession. So let's explore the definition of profession and whether nursing has all the components that make it up. Dr. John Southwick in 1997 defined the profession as a disciplined group of individuals who adhere to high ethical standards and hold themselves up and are accepted by the public as possessing special knowledge and skills in a widely recognized and organized body of learning derived from education and high-level training and who are willing to exercise this knowledge and skills in the interests of others. Inherent in this definition is the concept that responsibility for the well-being, health, and safety of the community takes precedence over other considerations (Southwick, 1997, para. 2). As you can clearly see, the definition of profession is made up of seven components. They are: knowledge, control over training and education, registration, selfless service, a code of ethics, social... half of the document... Fundamentals of Nursing: Human Health and Function (6th ed. ). Philadelphia: Lippincott.Daly, J., Speedy, S., & Jackson, D. (2010). Nursing context: An introduction (3rd ed.). Australia: Elsevier.New Zealand Nurses Organisation. (2010). Code of ethics. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://www.nzno.org.nz/Portals/0/publications/Code%20of%20Ethics%202010.pdfNursing Council of New Zealand. (n.d.). Registering Nurses in New Zealand. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://www.nursingcouncil.org.nz/index.cfm/1,28,0,0,html/New-Zealand-RegistrationNursing Council of New Zealand. (2009). Code of conduct for nurses. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://www.nursingcouncil.org.nz/download/48/code-of-conduct-nov09.pdfSouthwick, J. (1997). The Australian Council of Professions' view. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/277772