An education-service partnership: analysis of the development of a satellite baccalaureate nursing programme

The development of a satellite education partnership between the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and St Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin, is reported. The factors which were identified as key to this successful partnership are compared to the antecedent conditions and defining attributes of the concept of collaboration as described by Henneman, Lee and Cohen. These factors include: (a) enlisting organizational support; (b) identifying anticipated benefits to all parties; (c) scrutiny regarding the necessity of the project; (d) communication skills and trust among partners; (e) a contract including not only how to proceed but how to disband; and (f) assessment of the risks of failure and whether they can be endured. The defining attributes of collaboration were met in this satellite baccalaureate programme partnership. The consequences of this collaboration are discussed and support the conceptual literature. The success of this collaboration is evidence that partnerships between nursing service, education and research are not only worth the risks but necessary for our full participation in the health care system.