In the 1970s, McMaster University, Hamilton, introduced self-directed learning (SDL) to its undergraduate nursing program. This innovation was prompted by a fundamental belief in the importance of nurse empowerment and the link between empowerment and SDL. The empowerment of nurses, it was believed, was critical to the improved health and welfare of patients. In the 1990s, faculty and alumni have perceived another benefit to SDL: the ability of McMaster graduates to persevere and excel in the face of health care system change.