Nurses as equals in the multidisciplinary team.

Abstract

For many years nurses have had a high profile both nationally and internationally, but in the past most nurses played only a supporting role. Although the doctor is still recognized as the leader of the clinical team, nurses have become recognized as professionals in their own right, carrying responsibility for their own actions. The clinical and managerial judgement of nurses is respected and increasingly they are given the authority to make policy decisions within a team. However, nurses must take personal responsibility for developing their own leadership and boardroom skills to enable them to make an equal contribution. In this article I reflect on how Professor Michael Hull valued the role of nurses as equal members of the clinical team. In the Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Bristol he paved the way towards making nurses equal. He encouraged nurses to learn and use their knowledge and this in turn developed self-esteem and confidence, which not only made nurses equal but also made them feel equal.