Nursing in Transition.

This article focuses on the psycho-social and cultural aspects of illness and patient care. To provide comprehensive care, in fact rather than pronouncement, emphasis is given to considering the patient in the context of his total environment, to the importance of understanding his psychological make-up and socio-cultural background, to the relevance of the factors for diagnosis, treatment, and management, and to their implications for interpersonal relations and communication. in the next decade nursing will be faced with some of its greatest and most exciting challenges. With the trend toward mass medical care and the changing patterns of health services, the nurse of tomorrow will encounter unprecedented responsibilities.