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A key decision at a major teaching hospital as to which type of "balloon pump" to purchase for treating heart disease patients becomes a test of the organization''s commitment to creating a decision-making process in which a variety of interests can express themselves. As pressure mounts-in part because of the intense outside commercial interest in the decision-the work of the "balloon preceptor group" becomes controversial, perhaps because the hospital''s central administration has charged members of its nursing staff with chairing the group. When the committee''s initial decision is overturned, in part because of disagreements voiced by physicians, nurses split as to whether the committee was worthwhile or not.