Independent, autonomous, or equal: what do we really want?

This article will explore the development of terms such as autonomous and independent in the national and international nursing literature, with particular reference to the development of the nurse practitioner (NP)/advanced nursing role. It will examine the complexity of power relationships in health care and explore the apparent dissatisfaction of nurses with their status, as demonstrated by such issues as the proliferation of nursing ethics and the problems surrounding recruitment and retention. It will discuss why the development of advanced practice roles has been greeted with such suspicion by some medical organizations, and what barriers and benefits there are to collaborative practice. It will explore the relationship between the bodies of knowledge of medicine and nursing, and the perceived blurring of roles that advanced practice can potentiate. Finally, it will make some suggestions for intelligent and harmonious coexistence, which would refocus medical and nursing practice on patient care, rather than on "bunker dwelling."