Since the publication of the Health of the Nation document in 1992, collaborative practice has been at the forefront of health service reform. While other professional groups have readily adopted health promotion and collaboration, the nursing profession has experienced difficulties in changing practice and some have resisted reform. The author examines the issues surrounding nursing's apparent hesitancy in adopting collaborative working practices. To promote collaborative practice, nurses need to be aware of the range of teams and agencies involved in health promotion and acknowledge the client as an equal member of the team. However, better education, training and shared learning initiatives are essential to improve collaborative practice.