Introduction. Nursing profession practice policy in Poland is governed by a number of acts that have been subject to many changes over the years. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the knowledge of the laws governing the nursing profession in Poland by nurses.

Material and methods. The study included 222 individuals aged between 22 and 56, in a group of nursing students of the Medical University of Gdansk. The study was conducted using the method of diagnostic survey and questionnaire technique using the author’s questionnaire.

Results. The mean value of the standardized results of all survey questions is 0.56. Respondents obtained the best results in the group of questions on the topic of postgraduate education in the profession of nursing.

Conclusions.

1. General knowledge of existing legislation governing the nursing profession in Poland was relatively low.

2. Statistically undergraudate students answered given question correctly more often as compared to secondary medical school graduates.

3. Individuals with experience of less than or equal to 10 years have a higher level of knowledge on the topic of postgraduate education than those working for more than 10 years in the profession.

4. Individuals who completed specialized training achieved better results in the group of questions concerning knowledge of the legislation of professions of nurses and midwives.