NURSING - IN PRAISE OF TODAY'S NURSES & NURSING
And a Reality Check on the THEORY / PRACTICE GAP
Ok - I am feeling irritable - let me explain why this ageing Retired Associate Professor of Nursing is not happy.
I have just read the following Abstract...
The Abstract States that:
"Nurse educators must review their current curricula to ensure that there is clear articulation of nursing's professional philosophical stance, and use this as the framework for pre-registration curricula to support the development of neophyte nursing students towards a clear and focused understanding of what nursing practice is."
HOWEVER - TODAY I had the privilege of interviewing prospective Student Nurse Candidates at Swansea University Department of Nursing.
3rd Year Student Ambassadors were there - proudly in their purple uniforms. They spoke in glowing terms of the quality of the course and of their pride of being prospective qualified nurses.
There were professional clinical nurses assisting at the interviews, all stating their commitment to the future of the profession and their support for pre-registration education.
There were service users there sharing their experiences as patients with the young hopefuls.
There was a mass of committed highly educated Nurse Teachers guiding the selection process - from all walks of Nursing Practice.
And there`was over 100 young people, many who had traveled hundreds of miles, who were desperate to become student nurses - BECAUSE - IT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPIRATION IN THEIR YOUNG LIVES. They articulated the Philosophy of Nursing in their belief in its intention - to "Care".
A candidate smiled and said to me "I want this so much......"
SO THEORISTS - RESEARCHERS - EXAMINE YOUR DATE - AND PLEASE TELL ME WHAT NURSING HAS GOT SO WRONG????
Today I had the joy of seeing my life long profession safe in the hands of the next generation - philosophy and curriculum
