The theory of occupational closure is a neglected area in the field of nursing. This article attempts to determine its relevance to nursing within the current political and economic climate where skills shortages within the field of medicine and the introduction of the European Working Time Directive in Britain, has presented new opportunities for nursing on several fronts. The study attempted to identify the impact of this policy upon the working relationships of doctors and nurses. It also attempted to determine how doctors and nurses classify the work of nursing in current context and the reasons for so doing. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with a group of doctors and nurses working in a large teaching hospital in the English Midlands. The study showed that a restratification of nursing has occurred whereby a three-tier classification system has emerged within the hierarchy of nursing. The findings have opened up a debate concerning issues of power, territorialism and new directions for the future of nursing.
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