The aim of this study was to illuminate the meaning of the physicians' expectations regarding registered nurses who are responsible for the care of older people living in sheltered housing, retirement homes and group dwellings. A phenomenological-hermeneutic method was used for the analysis. Twelve physicians from two municipalities in Sweden were interviewed. The naive reading of the interviews characterizes the physicians' expressed views of nurses by using metaphors such as "the extended arm", "gatekeeper" and "belonging to a no-man's land". In the structural analysis, explanations of the metaphors are given. The new understanding was that the physicians also expect registered nurses to be able to switch between keeping a distance and being close to older people. When registered nurses have this skill, the physicians have a "we" feeling towards the nurse. The paper provides insights into the physician-nurse relationship, in the context of residential care in Sweden.