This thesis explores perceptions of nursing held by a range of stakeholders at the\ud
beginning of the 21st century. Using a constructivist methodology, this study locates\ud
nursing within the current context of healthcare, acknowledging the historical and\ud
socio-political influences which have contributed to shaping nursing’s identity and\ud
nursing work. The use of a case study approach as the mode for constructivist inquiry\ud
draws on an understanding of this approach as a ‘depth examination of an instance’\ud
(Lincoln and Guba, 1985 p.360). This recognises the contemporary and time bound\ud
nature of the study, located in a time of modernisation and change within both\ud
nursing and the wider National Health Service