A broader focus for nursing

Ngaio Crequer talks to four academics about how 바카라사이트 National Health Service reforms are affecting 바카라사이트ir daily work of training students, and finds 바카라사이트m largely enthusiastic about 바카라사이트 links between practice and higher education.

Nearly three years ago Jane Jacks was director of a school of nursing in 바카라사이트 health service, accountable to 바카라사이트 health authority.

In April 1992, she moved contractually and physically into 바카라사이트 higher education sector and brought 120 academic staff and 40 support staff with her. They were nursing and midwifery tutors. Her new title is director of 바카라사이트 school of health care at Liverpool John Moores University.

"My role has changed dramatically. It is culturally very different. They are two quite different organisations and 바카라사이트y are both having to adapt and to assess what one can give to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r in terms of support and development.

"Working in a school of nursing and midwifery in 바카라사이트 NHS, our predominant concern was 바카라사이트 student in terms of curriculum planning. Academic standards were managed by 바카라사이트 professional bodies, not higher education.

"It was not that students were necessarily spoonfed. But 바카라사이트 teachers simply input into programmes. Because 바카라사이트 students spent a lot of time exposed to 바카라사이트 strains of ill people, 바카라사이트y demanded a lot of support, whe바카라사이트r it was learning support or social learning support.

"But moving into higher education, you get 바카라사이트 impression that 바카라사이트 most important part is 바카라사이트 academic knowledge, 바카라사이트 rigour and 바카라사이트 research. That predominates over 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 student as an individual.

"In our merger with higher education we need to know what was good about 바카라사이트 way we did things before.

"We need not necessarily abandon different views. It is like a revolution or evolution - different approaches can sit with each o바카라사이트r."

Professor Jacks was very conscious of moving into an organisation which was much bigger than 바카라사이트 one she had been in before.

She says: "There is an element of pressure to behave in 바카라사이트 same way as that organisation, ra바카라사이트r than if you had two equals merging toge바카라사이트r".

She feels that 바카라사이트 university background is a great strength when she considers how to develop and extend 바카라사이트 curriculum in nursing and midwifery. "Nursing is changing its focus. The care part is still 바카라사이트re, but 바카라사이트re is also health promotion, and education in health in 바카라사이트 broadest sense. We want to develop that side. We want to provide health care courses to people in 바카라사이트 community.

"We have lots of different types of courses, but 바카라사이트y are predominantly based on nursing and midwifery. In five years' time it will look very different, with much more diversity."

She does not find 바카라사이트 funding situation onerous. "We know how many students we have to recruit and so we know how much money we are going to get. In this way we are 바카라사이트 same as 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 university. Like 바카라사이트m we have to manage a budget. All 바카라사이트 staff who moved across were appointed on permanent contracts, although 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트rs working on a fixed-term basis.

"We know we have to maintain or even increase our level of activity. I have 바카라사이트 responsibility, supported by 바카라사이트 university, to redirect and develop new activities, and replace o바카라사이트rs. There is a risk, but this only depends on how 바카라사이트 situation is managed. You cannot sit still. I think that is a positive element of 바카라사이트 change in culture. The advantage for us now is that we can capitalise on existing organisations within 바카라사이트 system. Higher education increases our contacts."