Interprofessional relations: case studies of working relationships between Registered Nurses and general practitioners in rural Australia.

Interprofessional working relationships of nurses and doctors have been discussed in the literature but are less frequently the subject of research. A review of international research on nurse-doctor professional relationships conducted over 30 years (1966-99) shows that the relationship is of interest predominantly to nurses. From a series of interviews with nurses and doctors, as part of a case study of four rural health services, harmonious working relationships between nurses and doctors were examined. Further analysis reveals many aspects of nurse-doctor relationships that are traditional and common across many contexts. There are, however, some aspects that are specific to the rural nature of the working context and relate well to contemporary advances in nursing knowledge and confidence.