Experiences of nursing joint appointments in a teaching health unit

This article describes the experiences of five community health nursing faculty who are jointly appointed between McMaster University School of Nursing and the Hamilton-Wentworth Department of Public Health Services in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The appointees are actively involved in service, education, and research activities within the teaching health unit, a specially funded project of the Ontario Ministry of Health. Various kinds of consultation and expertise are offered by joint appointees to staff and management within the Department of Public Health Services. The amount of time and effort invested in a particular activity or project varies as staff, students, and joint appointees each make their contributions. Several lessons are learned in acting out our diverse roles in this exciting and challenging service environment.