State involvement in professional nursing development in Israel: promotive or restrictive.

This article describes the role of the Israeli Ministry of Health's Nursing Division in regulating the development of the nursing profession and the nursing care provided. First, factors influencing professional nursing in Israel and the development of the Ministry of Health's Nursing Division are presented. Then, examples of the Nursing Division's influence on nursing practice, the process of statutory authorization used to facilitate this influence, and future Nursing Division initiatives are discussed. The article concludes by noting that, on balance, ministerial (governmental) involvement strengthens the nursing profession and the quality of nursing care provided, yet may also restrict nurses' private concerns.