AbstractA new nursing specialism has emerged over the last 10 years, that of the continence adviser. Many posts, however, were set up without adequate planning and resources and the service grew without central coordination or guidance. As a result, the continence advisory role is interpreted differently from post to post. Incontinence is regarded as a stigmatizing condition which is denied the status of true ‘illness’ and its management is traditionally relegated to the responsibility of low‐status and junior staff. In attempting to gain professional recognition, continence advisers have adopted a variety of strategies to overcome these prejudices. In this paper a number of tensions in the role are identified. It is suggested that the service needs to present a more coherent profile both in the interests of its own survival and those of its client