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COMMENT A personal comment on the Rcn Commission Report on Nursing Education Christopher E R Maddox This document and its supporting statistics hrittg together in a most excellent manner the details relating to the provision of nursing education in the United Kingdom. However, early irt the reading of the document one begins to feel at odds with the inevitable direction of some of the conclusions. ,\s an educationalist who is not a registered nurse l)ut has been associated with pre- and post-registration nursing education for a num- her- of years, I was able to identify, in the C:ommission’s thinking, the problems and dilemmas which have been facing the nursing profession for many years. So then, the reader a\lis, whet-c will society’s priorities lie? To \z,llich the answer must be: to obtain as good as possible a nursing service as cheaply as pos- siljle. ,\nalysis of this hypothesis leads to some cclnclusions which the nursing professionals must clarify: 1. the role and numbers of registered nurses essential for the operation of an efftcient service in a particular nursing environ- ment over an extended period of time; 2. the numhers and types of support staff required to supplement the nurse provi- sion who will not be designated by the connotation ‘nurse’ in any form; and 3. the educational provision required to pro- duce the numbers and various types of registered nurses according to ( 1) above. Unfortunately, the report avoids deep dis- cussion of what the nursing profession believes C E R Maddox BSc PhD MlBiol DipManEd, Vice Principal, Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh is necessary to carry out the nursing require- ments of our present societv adequately. Rather ineffectively, the report seems to accept that the present numbers of registered nurses plus a modest enhancement will be sufficient in the future. (Perhaps the Policy Committee of’ the UKCC will do better!). Once the profession has advised on its pos- ition, it would then he well placed to indicate the type of education and status that learner nurses should en,jo);. My own prejudices are in favour of educational units which ha\rt, strong affiliations with institutions of higher edrtcation but which are firmly embedded in the Sational Health Service. The advantages 01‘ this type of arrangement are that the virtues !)f both sys- terns can he used to cancel out each other’s detriments, and the learner nurse has the opportunity to develop the necessary practical skills lvithin the Health Service lthilc dcvclop- ing the necessary’ academic skill.<. \vhich to- gether are then integrated 111 :I total eti~~- cational programme. The report is lit-m in its conclusions that all nurse tutors should he graduates. I’his is ttot a position that all of us in educ,ation could concur with, as it mav be essential that stu- dents should come into contat’t. e\en in thr classroom situation, with as mirc~tl a population of tutors as possible. Some non-graduates rtill have abilities and skills which slrould not ht, denied to students. With regard to the proposals that CX:\.\ should hecome a single validating body- for <L three-year diploma course, it is interesting to speculate why an all-graduate profession is ig- nored, and whether the Commission was aware 141

A personal comment on the Rcn commission report on nursing education

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Page 1: A personal comment on the Rcn commission report on nursing education

COMMENT

A personal comment on the Rcn Commission Report on Nursing Education

Christopher E R Maddox

This document and its supporting statistics

hrittg together in a most excellent manner the

details relating to the provision of nursing

education in the United Kingdom. However,

early irt the reading of the document one

begins to feel at odds with the inevitable

direction of some of the conclusions.

,\s an educationalist who is not a registered

nurse l)ut has been associated with pre- and

post-registration nursing education for a num-

her- of years, I was able to identify, in the

C:ommission’s thinking, the problems and

dilemmas which have been facing the nursing

profession for many years. So then, the reader

a\lis, whet-c will society’s priorities lie? To

\z,llich the answer must be: to obtain as good as

possible a nursing service as cheaply as pos-

siljle. ,\nalysis of this hypothesis leads to some

cclnclusions which the nursing professionals

must clarify:

1. the role and numbers of registered nurses

essential for the operation of an efftcient

service in a particular nursing environ-

ment over an extended period of time;

2. the numhers and types of support staff

required to supplement the nurse provi-

sion who will not be designated by the

connotation ‘nurse’ in any form; and

3. the educational provision required to pro-

duce the numbers and various types of

registered nurses according to ( 1) above.

Unfortunately, the report avoids deep dis-

cussion of what the nursing profession believes

C E R Maddox BSc PhD MlBiol DipManEd, Vice Principal, Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh

is necessary to carry out the nursing require-

ments of our present societv adequately.

Rather ineffectively, the report seems to accept

that the present numbers of registered nurses

plus a modest enhancement will be sufficient in

the future. (Perhaps the Policy Committee of’

the UKCC will do better!).

Once the profession has advised on its pos-

ition, it would then he well placed to indicate

the type of education and status that learner

nurses should en,jo);. My own prejudices are in

favour of educational units which ha\rt, strong

affiliations with institutions of higher edrtcation

but which are firmly embedded in the Sational

Health Service. The advantages 01‘ this type of

arrangement are that the virtues !)f both sys-

terns can he used to cancel out each other’s

detriments, and the learner nurse has the

opportunity to develop the necessary practical

skills lvithin the Health Service lthilc dcvclop-

ing the necessary’ academic skill.<. \vhich to-

gether are then integrated 111 :I total eti~~-

cational programme.

The report is lit-m in its conclusions that all

nurse tutors should he graduates. I’his is ttot a

position that all of us in educ,ation could

concur with, as it mav be essential that stu-

dents should come into contat’t. e\en in thr

classroom situation, with as mirc~tl a population

of tutors as possible. Some non-graduates rtill

have abilities and skills which slrould not ht,

denied to students.

With regard to the proposals that CX:\.\

should hecome a single validating body- for <L

three-year diploma course, it is interesting to

speculate why an all-graduate profession is ig-

nored, and whether the Commission was aware

141

Page 2: A personal comment on the Rcn commission report on nursing education

142 NURSE EDUCATION TODAY

that for CNAA an ethos as a validating body is

to consider all forms of academic and pro-

fessional initiatives on their merits. It might

therefore be surprised to receive a prescribed

structure for a three-year diploma course more

or less cast in tablets of stone.

In conclusion, the report must be seen as an

important step in establishing a modern pat-

tern of education and training for nurses.

Although open to criticism on a number of

counts, the Report should stimulate debate

that will be of immense value to the UKCC

and the respective National Boards as the final

arbiters in making recommendations for the

future development of nurse education and

presenting them to the Secretary of State.

Reference RCN Commission on Nursing Education 1985 The

education of nurses: a new dispensation. Royal College of Nursing, London