During the first half of the twentieth century, is nursing was dearly subservient to the more powerful medical profession. In the last 20 years or so, the nursing profession has attempted to break away from perceived medical domination. A rapprochement is now beginning. University nursing departments have been established in medical schools, creating opportunities for shared undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. Collaborative research is increasingly common and clinical innovations frequently involve doctors and nurses working together to develop and evaluate new methods of practice.