Most nurses not only accept the notion that patients have rights, but also stand ready to help patients assert them. But how far will nurses go? Will they be willing allies as patients press for more recognition of their individuality and autonomy? At the National Conference on Patients' Rights held in Nashville in late September, 1980, I outlined for patient rights activists a five-point agenda for the ‘80s. Since then I have presented this agenda to nursing audiences in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, California, and Michigan. The reception has varied, but many nurses are uncomfortable with the proposal. The purpose of this column is to present the agenda in written form to give Nursing Law & Ethics readers an opportunity to comment on it.