Nrrsr Eduratran 7’odq (1992) l&321-322 0 Longman Group UK Ltd 1992

GUEST EDITORIAL

Expert to novice

This is a stressful

time for nurse teachers.

most are in agreement about

important

education

changes

of nurses,

teachers’

anxiety

inform

and

their jobs

that

Kesearch

increasing

for a moment,

by the

the role changes

identity’.

to adjust to changes

Many,

smaller

have been linked together

schools

is often

there is the question their

teaching

method

Second,

larger numbers

methods

courses are likely to mean

with it. Many of the principles jettisoned

in

of adult

been

teaching

more

and more

numbers

of students. Just as many nurse educa-

tors were developing

Nurse

has

have

favour

to larger

of

and larger

skills of facilitating

that

to develop

whether

by inspirI

1 suspect that many

nurse teachers have real doubts ability to teach in this way. Next, those teachers

about

in the research

their

who do not have degrees

teachers

of counsellor.

the

or not nurse clinicians,

teachers

cutting

the length

of many degree

part,

are

and higher

degree courses, in response to both government and market pressures. This means that more

hangs

over

and more nurse teachers learning

into a shorter

will have to cram more

Future

teachers

space of time. Yet another

pressure.

level,

Linked

to the degree

question

is the research

of

also be

all educators. document

be qualified practice

a knowledge

of nursing

them into action. ‘an

of the

and they must

or clinically credible

they teach (DoH

in the area of

1989).

are often written by those who Leaving

advanced

for translating

aside the question

level’

might

be,

of

nurse

still have to battle with the issue of or not they will be able to retain clinical

competence

and ‘credibility’.

they? How will they? There

one. Nurse teachers, rightly, are being encouraged to call more and more on research to

should

must be able to demonstrate,

theory and practice

teachers whether

and

that:

at an advanced

what

as

question

35 of the Strategy for Nursing

do not have direct responsibility

their

work

and have

list of pressures

Such documents

for

Most

overwhelming

Universities

colleges,

to

to be all

students

are having to study for them - usually part time. and

have

Many fulfil the role of

in this short

excellent

that there are many who would

admit to being inspirational.

I know that I am a

tutorial skills to help these students.

Finally,

formal

delivered

training

10 years of

also required

tutors to individual

suggests

Lectures,

are

others

modifications,

learn-

can be a real aid to learning.

teachers

personal

Target

lecturers.

After

nurse

mentor,

ing, they have had to change gear and learn to be ational lecturers

modern

things to their students.

to suit the approach

studies.

game is a long one. And it is one that adds to the

have had to revise,

that the ‘theme’

degree

do not get adequate

novice at it. The apprenticeship

to form large

difficult.

of teaching

Many teachers

though,

degree

encou-

as part of

skills, take time to

studying and doing research,

learning

doubt,

their

in

burden

brought

of

of

carry.

organisation

radically,

part

that nurse teachers

larger

lecture

and

are being

research

skills, like nursing

learn. Shorter

colleges of nursing or health. Finding a niche in a

of students.

They

in the skills that are involved.

First, they are having nursing

practice.

also, to undertake

in the training

that are involved. ‘corporate

their

raged,

it has also ensured

levels are

week. Consider,

Whilst

that Project 2000 brought

Can they? Should is plenty of rhetoric

on the topic and plenty of evidence

to demon-

strate a ‘theory/practice’ gap but precious little on exact(y how nurse teachers are to fulfil the

322

NURSE EDUCATION TODAY

multi-faceted role that has been outlined here. Infante (1986) suggests that nurse teachers are role models for leaching rather than for clinical practice. She argues that ‘the practitioner of nursing in the various clinical settings acts as a role model for nurses’. At some point, we all need to stop and have a good think. Then we need a plan of action. We need to sit down and define, clearly, the role of the nurse teacher. Or, perhaps, the roles of the nurse teachers - there may be room for different sorts of nurse teachers. As ever, nurses are obsessed with being able to ‘do it all’. Perhaps there should be teachers who specialise in research and research supervision working alongside those who teach clinical skills. Now, with the changes being brought about by Project 2000 it seems, on the one hand, to be a good time to redefine nurse teaching. If everyone is having to change, then deciding on what that change should be seems a good idea. On the other hand, I suspect that everyone is so caught up in the process of change that they cannot stop

and reconsider exactly what it is that they want to do. The net result seems to be that many nurse teachers are feeling de-skilled. All of a sudden, they are being asked to exercise skills that they either do not have or do not feel that they should have. Giving lectures, doing research, retaining clinical competence, writing and developing course documents, it is all too large an order. I hope we sort it out soon. For if we do not, it will not only be the students who suffer but also, and sometimes, directly, the patients. The teachers, themselves, are already suffering.

References Department

of Health

1989 Strategy

for

Nursing.

HMSO, London.

lnfante M S 1986 The conflicting roles of nurse and nurse

educator. NursingOutlook 34, 2: 94-96.

PHILIP BURNARD Director of Postgraduate Nursing Studies University of Wales College of Medicine Cardiff