Globalisation

I'm off to Seattle next week to meet with academics from two universities. It's a real opportunity to compare their healthcare issues and nursing education with what's going on in Scotland and the UK. Having read the document that is proposing the way forward for nursing in the States, it is clear that (while there are some contextual differences) the key issues are the same. The drive for safe, efficient and person-centred care seems to lie at the heart of the debate, as it does here. The shift towards degree education (with an aim of 80% degree output for the States) mirrors the policy shift in the UK. I will be interested to talk to Seattle colleagues about curriculum, selection of students, and the future of healthcare. Interesting times, and a real opportunity to learn something more about international healthcare.

Reflection on curriculum development

With the new NMC standards, we are all embarking on (or have completed) curriculum developments which aim to enhance the education that we offer. We have many drivers - the NMC requirements, service requirements, policy drivers, student experience and feedback...... How we manage all these is a matter of developing approaches to communication that enables all of the stakeholders to meaningfully engage in the discussion and critical debate that enables the development of curricula that will impact positively on practice. My own experience is one where we aim to diminish the boundaries between practice and university learning through the development of great working relationships with our stakeholders. After all, we are all aiming to do the same thing - provide students with an excellent education that will enhance the service delivery both in the short term and in the longer term. The ever-evolving nature of healthcare requires that we produce graduates who can take forward practice innovatively and who can contribute to the evidence-base that will ensure that nursing practice continues to evolve positively.

Getting older.....

Having just had another birthday I started thinking about getting older and where the healthcare system will be when I am in need of it. As an educator I feel that I am in a position to influence the healthcare of the future, but we will have to work together towards a coherent vision for the future. Blogs and other social media are one way to generate ideas and vision - I plan to engage with others in similar educational roles and pursue a national conversation on nursing education and the key issues that excite us.