Establishing a clinically-based nursing department in partnership with a university faculty of medicine and an acute hospital

Following a review of hospital based, post basic nursing education at Royal Adelaide Hospital, a clinically focused department of clinical nursing was established in May 1995 as a collaborative venture between The University of Adelaide Faculty of Medicine and Royal Adelaide Hospital. Teaching commenced in February 1996, and 14 specialist graduate certificate and graduate diplomas; a course work master of nursing science degree; and a professional Doctor of nursing program are now offered, all on a fee-paying basis. Clinical affiliations with 15 additional hospitals have been established and the new department has a competitively funded research program and a strong cohort of PhD students. Nursing academics within the department teach a third-year course in clinical skills for medical students; medical academics within the faculty contribute to the teaching of specialist clinical subjects offered to graduate nursing students; and a range of interdisciplinary initiatives is developing rapidly. This paper overviews the development of a graduate nursing studies unit in a clinical, interdisciplinary environment and discusses possibilities for future collaboration between nursing, medicine and health sciences.