Collaboration as a Partnership

Abstract

This article traces and analyzes the development of a collaboration between a battered women's shelter and a university school of nursing to provide health services, nursing student education, action research, program evaluation and improvement, and data for policy change. The authors discuss the wide variety of shared activities that they undertook over time as well as competing and shared commitments to knowledge, programs, and audiences. The importance of a long-term commitment, development of trust, working through frustrations, and formulating mutual goals is stressed.