Abstract
This paper discusses data from a case study of fertility nursing practice. An ethnographic case study approach using participant observation and nine semi-structured interviews with staff and patients was undertaken. The data were analysed thematically and these themes are discussed in this paper. We present the meaning a small group of nurses working in a fertility unit in the UK attach to new roles and the ways in which changes in practice may be influenced. The nurses in this study believed that nature of the task demanded changes to practice and they identified personal, interpersonal and socio-cultural factors which influenced these changes. These new roles facilitated greater continuity of care for patients. This paper discusses the effects of these new roles on knowing and intimacy in nurse - patient relationships. The data suggests that new nursing roles, which are based on "traditional" nursing and "new" technical skills, are fragile and may not be shared across a professional community.