Similarities not differences: an exploration of the impact of change upon a group of nursing lecturers within a university setting.

The concepts of collaboration and partnership currently have extensive impact upon health care providers and higher education institutions. One of the challenges is to develop networks which will foster partnerships able to react, and contribute, to an ever-evolving educational culture. These themes are illustrated by using the example of one school of nursing and midwifery, and the collective experience of a number of its academic staff. By focusing on distinct features of collaboration (strategic planning, origins of change, group dynamics and building a community), the authors seek to explore the impact of an educational culture in an attempt to provide meaning to their recent experiences. In so doing, group identity is explored and the prospect for creating partnerships across disciplines ('similarities rather than differences') is considered.