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At smaller units the nurse anesthetists worked more independently, and they could wake up the functionally healthy patient themselves after receiv-ing instruction by telephone from the anesthesiologist in charge. This independence was perceived as positive and gave the nurse anesthetists a feeling of trust and profes-sionalism. In other units, often the largest ones, the nurse anesthetists were not allowed to wake up the patients without an anesthesiologist present; sometimes they be-lieved that they were not trusted.“We have the same tasks; we work in a similar way, so there is a competition between the nurse anesthetist and the anesthesiologist. Therefore, I guess it is necessary for them sometimes to demonstrate that they are in charge.”In the most cases, however, there was a relaxed re-lationship between the nurse anesthetists and the anes-thesiologist. The nurse anesthetists accepted working on orders from the anesthesiologist, and the problems ex-perienced were classified as dependent on personalities.DiscussionThe recruitment of participants was difficult, and therefore the sampling procedure had to be extended. Voluntary participation was used, and the researcher was contacted either directly by the participants or indirectly by their managers. It cannot be excluded that the sample procedure influenced the results. Presumably, the partici-pants took part in the study based on their interest in the topic. Maybe the knowledge and experiences expressed could have somehow differed with participants who were not as interested in the topic. The heterogeneity of the sample was given priority, and strategic sampling was therefore used.The core category describes the dilemma of the nurse anesthetist of on the one hand being professional and independent, and on the other hand being dependent on the competencies, skills, and willingness of other profes-sionals to cooperate in providing good anesthesia care. The formulation “for better or worse” in the core category is connected with the subordinate role of the nurse anes-thetist and the collaboration with the anesthesiologists as positive but also challenging. Regarding not being allowed to use one’s own skills and knowledge without supervision, frustrations can arise.