The literature on socialization of nursing students for professional commitment is reviewed, along with the literature on nursing as a female profession. Concerns addressed by the literature include the following: students' self-images over the course of their nursing education, nursing leadership, the conventional orientation of many young nursing students (i.e., traditional feminine life goals), and the less than full professional status of the nurse. Based on the review, implications for nursing education are considered. It is suggested that within the educational program, nursing students need: experiences in setting their own goals and being responsible for meeting them, faculty role models who show and discuss the combination of home and career roles, and democratic models of shared decision making. They need experiences in collegiality, assertiveness, and leadership, as well as opportunities to discuss changing sex roles and the consequent stresses and rewards. Many writers emphasize that nursing's educational programs are not providing students with the learning experiences required to ensure career commitment. Faculty need consciousness raising to alert them to the effects of their own socialization and the ways in which they influence students. (SW)