The document discusses the key attributes of nursing as a profession. It identifies 10 characteristics of a profession, including a specialized body of knowledge, evidence-based practice, public service, strong professional organizations, a code of ethics, autonomy, accountability, and professional identity. It provides examples for how nursing meets these characteristics, such as through its specialized education and training programs, research efforts to develop the nursing science knowledge base, and codes of ethics to guide practice. Nursing aims to achieve full professional status through commitment to its continued development and recognition from other disciplines.