Advances in Nursing Science Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. E74–E85 c  2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. Results From the Nurse Manifest 2003 Study Nurses’ Perspectives on Nursing Olga F. Jarr´ın,BS, RN The purpose of this article is to raise awareness, inspire action, and open dialogue about professional values and workplace conditions. Results of the Nurse Manifest 2003 Study are presented through meta-synthesis of group summaries answering the questions: What is it like to practice nursing? and, What changes do nurses desire to support practice? The results illuminate the underlying framework of professional values that splits our profession, nursing units, and educational institutions. An analysis of the similarities and differences within and be- tween groups reflect values which are rooted in the history of our profession and affected by present working conditions. Key words: emancipatory methodology, integral, Ken Wilber, manifesto, meta-synthesis, nursing, Spiral Dynamics, values The nursing shortage is continuing toward its pro- jected peak in 2010. As a profession we seem unable to devise effective strategies to enhance growth and overcome this looming crisis. By fo- cusing on predictable barriers using methods of re- ductionism, nurses may have forgotten the biggest barrier: the challenge of creating a holistic pro- fessional group presence and inclusive nursing stance. Without first addressing and solving in- ternal paradoxical identity struggles, nursing will continue to try to overcome the multiple internal and external barriers that resulted in the current shortage. —Carey S. Clark C LARK 1 presents excerpts from A Nurs- ing Manifesto: A Call to Conscience and Action, and then goes beyond summarizing the current issues surrounding the nursing shortage to suggest ways the profession of From the University of Connecticut School of Nursing, Storrs. The author thanks the participants of the Nurse Man- ifest 2003 study as well as Phyllis Walls, Cheryl Beck, Carol Polifroni, and Marlaine Smith for their guidance in developing this article. Corresponding author: Olga F. Jarr´ ın, BS, RN, 231 Glenbrook Rd U-2026, Storrs, CT 06269 (e-mail: olga.jarrin@uconn.edu). nursing can begin to achieve solidarity and overcome challenges. The Nursing Manifesto was created to raise awareness, inspire action, and open important healthcare issues for dis- cussion around the world. 2 In the same spirit, this meta-synthesis of group discussions about what it is like to practice nursing and what changes nurses desire to support practice will illuminate the underlying framework of professional values that splits our profession, nursing units, and educational institutions. BACKGROUND The introduction to The Nursing Mani- festo 2 sets the stage for 2 participatory ac- tion research projects that have recently been completed. As nurses, we reach for meaningful expressions of our values, too often finding overwhelming con- straint and resistance, sometimes within ourselves and sometimes imposed from without. We are call- ing for a movement to awaken those precious and powerful ideals that are rooted in nursing’s world- wide historical traditions. We call forth the writ- ten and spoken voice of nursing to be claimed and reclaimed. We seek to inspire the fullest ex- pression of the heart of nursing through individual and collective acts. We believe there are profound E74