Editorial: Nursing education in the United Kingdom - clocks forward or clocks backward? (original) (raw)

Abstract

AI

The editorial discusses the current state and future of nursing education in the UK following the 2010 government transition to a Conservative-led coalition. It highlights the pressing need for reform within the National Health Service (NHS) amid budget cuts stemming from the global financial crisis, and poses critical questions regarding the implications of these political changes on nursing qualifications and the care provided to patients. The authors emphasize the challenge of balancing public expectations for quality healthcare with the realities of educational standards and funding constraints.

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

References (26)

1. Aiken L, Clarke SP, Cheung RB, Sloane DM & Silber JH (2003) Educational levels of hospital nurses and surgical patient mobility. Journal of the American Medical Association 290, 1617-1623.
2. Cameron D (2009) David Cameron: Speech to the Royal College of Nursing. Conser- vatives,, May 11 2009. http://www.con servatives.com/News/Speeches/2009/05/Da vid_Cameron_Speech_to_the_Royal_Colle ge_of_Nursing.aspx (Retrieved 22 May 2010).
3. Clegg N (2010) Nick Clegg's speech to the Royal College of Nursing. What's new. Liberal Democrats 27 Apr 2010. http:// www.libdems.org.uk/latest\_news\_detail.as px?title=Nick_Clegg%E2%80%99s_speech_ to_the_Royal_College_of_Nursing&pPK= 01cbebaf-5236-4aca-b9ca-89fee86707d5 (Retrieved 22 May 2010).
4. Dalrymple T (2009) Sorry, Florence. No degree, no job. Daily Telegraph 13 Nov 2009. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/educa tion/universityeducation/6558948/Sorry-Fl orence.-No-degree-no-job.html (Retrieved 22 May 2010).
5. Duffield C, Roche M, O'Brien-Pallas L, Diers D, Aisbett C, King M, Aisbett K & Hall J (2007) Glueing it Together: Nurses, Their Work Environment and Patient Safety. Sydney: University of Technology, Sydney, accessed from http://www.health.nsw. gov.au/pubs/2007/pdf/nwr_report.pdf (Ret- rieved 26 May 2010).
6. Evans R (2010) Tories say nurse degrees should be an 'aspiration' not an 'entry requirement' Evans What's new in nursing. Nursing Times 2 February, 2010. http:// www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursi ng/students/tories-say-nurse-degrees-should- be-an-aspiration-not-an-entry-requirement/ 5010952.article (Retrieved 22 May 2010).
7. Kendall-Gallagher D, Aiken LH, Sloane DM & Cimiotti JP (2011) Nurse specialty certification, inpatient mortality, and failure to rescue. Journal of Nursing Scho- larship 43, 188-194. Available at: http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21605323.
8. Klein R (2007) Outcomes of variation in hospital nurse staffing in English hospitals: A lesson for policy makers. International Journal of Nursing Studies 44, 167-168.
9. Marrin M (2009) Oh nurse, your degree is a symptom of equality disease. The Sunday Times November 15, 2009. http://www. timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/ minette_marrin/article6917254.ece (Retri- eved 22 May 2010).
10. McKenna HP, Thompson DR, Watson R & Norman IJ (2006) The good old days of nurse training: rose tinted or jaundiced view? International Journal of Nursing Studies 43, 135-137.
11. Nursing & Midwifery Council (2008) Con- firmation of principles to support a new framework for pre-registration nursing education NMC, London.
12. Patel KCR & Spilsbury P (2010) The UK National Health Service approach to the economic crisis. Journal of the Royal 2096 Ó 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20, 2095-2097 Editorial Society of Medicine 103,123-124. DOI 10.1258/jrsm.2010.100061.
13. Rafferty AM, Clarke SP, Coles J, Ball J, James P, McKee M & Aiken LH (2007) Outcomes of variation in hospital nurse staffing in English hospitals: Cross- sectional analysis of survey data and dis- charge records. International Journal of Nursing Studies 44, 175-182.
14. Santry C (2010) Conservatives: HCAs part of nursing 'profession', What's new in nursing. Nursing Times 13 February, 2010. http:// www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nurs ing/hcas/conservatives-hcas-part-of-nursing- profession/5011431.article (Retrieved 22 May 2010).
15. Shields L & Watson R (2007) The demise of nursing in the United Kingdom: a warning for medicine. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 100, 70-74.
16. Shields L & Watson R (2008) Where have all the nurses gone? Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 26, 95-101.
17. Street-Porter J (2009) Editor-At-Large: Nurses are not heroines. They are profes- sionals. The Independent, November 15, 2009. Available at: http://www.independent. co.uk/opinion/commentators/janet-street- porter/editoratlarge-nurses-are-not-heroines- they-are-professionals-1820959.html (Ret- rieved 22 May 2010).
18. The Prime Minister's Commission on the fu- ture of Nursing and Midwifery in England (2010) Front line care: report. http://www. nhshistory.net/nursing%20commission.pdf (Retrieved 22 May 2010).
19. Thompson DR & Watson R (2001) Aca- demic nursing -what is happening to it and where is it going? Journal of Advanced Nursing 36, 1-2.
20. Thompson DR & Watson R (2005a) All bathwater and no baby: revisiting a national curriculum and state examination for nursing? Nurse Education Today 25, 165-166.
21. Thompson DR & Watson R (2005b) The state of nursing in the United Kingdom. Journal of Clinical Nursing 14, 1039.
22. Watson R & Shields L (2009a) Nursing education: developments in the UK. Jour- nal of Clinical Nursing 18, 2925-2926.
23. Watson R & Shields L (2009b) Cruel Bri- tannia: a personal critique of nursing in the United Kingdom. Contemporary Nurse 32: 42-54.
24. Watson R & Thompson D (2000) Recent developments in UK nurse education: horses for courses or courses for horses? Journal of Advanced Nursing 32, 1041- 1042.
25. Watson R & Thompson D (2004) The Trojan horse of nursing education. Nurse Educa- tion Today 24, 73-75.
26. Watson R, Thompson D, Shields L & McKenna H (2009) The future of nursing: a response (Available from roger.watson@ sheffield.ac.uk).