Nursing practice in North Dakota was studied as part the development of a statewide nursing resource planning system. In addition to the current scope of nursing practice, the study investigated: (1) specific competencies currently targeted by nursing education; (2) differences in specific competencies endorsed by nurses with various education preparations as observed by nurses within the state, and (3) employer's observations of minimum educational preparation required for safe performance of the competencies. Four educational levels of nurses were sampled: licensed practical nursing, diploma in nursing, associate degree in nursing, and baccalaureate in nursing. The master's in nursing and doctorate in nursing groups were censused. Employers of nurses were also censused: hospitals, nursing homes, community health agencies, home health agencies, and clinics. The Kentucky Nursing Delineation Study (1982) list of nursing tasks was used for the item pool of nursing skills. In addition to biographical information, content analysis was undertaken of clinical, research, education, and administrative domains, along with process areas (e.g., planning, and evaluation). A total of 422 nurses, 14 nurse educators, and 145 nurse employers responded to the surveys, which are appended, along with detailed statistical findings. (SW)