New research is exploring the significant conflict that exists between what employers and graduates want from nursing graduates, Linda Belardi reports.
Some employers are concerned Australia's education system is not producing registered nurses who are workplace ready and have called for a pre-registration year to be introduced. May El Haddad, a PhD scholar from CQUniversity, said her research has uncovered a significant tension between what employers expect from their graduates and the educational preparation that nursing students receive. Nursing unit managers (NUMs) report wanting nursing graduates to be able to "hit the ground running", especially in a climate of limited funding for graduate support, and questioned the value of producing...
Barbara Newman
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
A very interesting article and one each academic should reflect on. I have felt for some time that some new graduates from certain programs are not meeting the needs of industry. Every time one commences dialogue with academics, it becomes a heated debate about not accepting feedback graciously, and darn well doing something about it as if no other person has a right to comment on standards and performance of new graduate nurses. Let's be mature about this and let's ask, can we develop curriculum and resulting new graduates that DO meet industry requirements. This should be achieved with some maturity and professionalism. Recently I was appraising Units of Study within a BN curricula and got criticised because I believe it could have been improved. We, as nurses have to think of the outcomes of education and the importance of providing safe, efficient and quality health care.
Pru
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
It is a huge scary world once one gains registration. I know from years ago how hard it was to go from the 'safe, supported' striped uniform to the white - showing my age! As an agency nurse I often work with graduates and their knowledge is excellent. We need to provide the right support for these individuals to flourish. Allow some learning time and support rather than look at their performance in reference to 'the old and weary draft horses of the health system'. I don't think there should be a pre-registration year. Really what would that achieve except purging more nurses from the system as they find another area to 'be'. I honestly think that there should be more hands on during the course so graduate nurses are more prepared when they hit the floor. I agree that there must be positive discussion not just academic discourse.
Sarah
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Being an undergraduate nursing student, I personally agree with Pru that the pre-reg year or the GNP year or TPPP year as its called now, should not even be necessary if the BNG curriculum emphasized a more hands on approach. On my last clinical placement last year as a second year student, one of the doctors asked me how long I was going to be in OT placement for, and I was a little ashamed to say that I was there for 15 days, and only in that subunit for 5 days of placement, that semester. How could any uni student get much hands on competence through their training this way right? And the most number of clinical days in the BNG curriculum in 3rd year(the final year) would be 30 days. And the worst bit is, in 3rd year, 90% of your grade is on assignments, with only a 10% emphasis on clinical. It seems as if the uni only cares for students who are good in writing assignments and maybe memorizing facts for exams, but not so much for those who function better in their hands-on approach.
Kathy
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
I think that there is an opportunity to really change our current situation, if we are bold enough. Health care costs are spiraling out of control, nurses HECS debts are getting higher each year and yet we are still not happy with the final product. We have essentially created a 4th year of nurse training "the grad" year which is terribly costly. Why? - to develop more clinical skills, time management and consolidate. We could change the system and have an "apprentice" model. Nurses could attend university for the first 12 months, they then are allocated to hospital/Health Service. They continue working within this health service for the next 2 years. eg 3 days a week working with clinical instructors support on the wards for 3 days a week and attend university either in blocks or 2 days per week. These nurse then get paid an apprentice wage. This has the opportunity to be a win-win model, however all parties would need to change their thinking. Universities, hospitals, unions and government. This is not the same as an intern model. This is not retrograde but melding two systems together to try to overcome the chasm that curently exists.
Student Nurse
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Yes, The system is very poor indeed, I don't know who it is designed to benefit. I feel not the Patient nor the Nurse. A system designed more to save costs than to produce confident and competent nurses, A total of 20 unpaid weeks exposure to a ward environment before graduation, A system that excludes mature learners and under prepares young students Shame on you....
Lorna
Friday, 6 July 2012
Thank you May for undertaking study in such an important area and giving voice to the very poeple who are involved. What a timely piece of research adding to a much needed debate. Well done!
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Barbara Newman
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
A very interesting article and one each academic should reflect on. I have felt for some time that some new graduates from certain programs are not meeting the needs of industry. Every time one commences dialogue with academics, it becomes a heated debate about not accepting feedback graciously, and darn well doing something about it as if no other person has a right to comment on standards and performance of new graduate nurses. Let's be mature about this and let's ask, can we develop curriculum and resulting new graduates that DO meet industry requirements. This should be achieved with some maturity and professionalism. Recently I was appraising Units of Study within a BN curricula and got criticised because I believe it could have been improved. We, as nurses have to think of the outcomes of education and the importance of providing safe, efficient and quality health care.
Pru
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
It is a huge scary world once one gains registration. I know from years ago how hard it was to go from the 'safe, supported' striped uniform to the white - showing my age! As an agency nurse I often work with graduates and their knowledge is excellent. We need to provide the right support for these individuals to flourish. Allow some learning time and support rather than look at their performance in reference to 'the old and weary draft horses of the health system'. I don't think there should be a pre-registration year. Really what would that achieve except purging more nurses from the system as they find another area to 'be'. I honestly think that there should be more hands on during the course so graduate nurses are more prepared when they hit the floor. I agree that there must be positive discussion not just academic discourse.
Sarah
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Being an undergraduate nursing student, I personally agree with Pru that the pre-reg year or the GNP year or TPPP year as its called now, should not even be necessary if the BNG curriculum emphasized a more hands on approach. On my last clinical placement last year as a second year student, one of the doctors asked me how long I was going to be in OT placement for, and I was a little ashamed to say that I was there for 15 days, and only in that subunit for 5 days of placement, that semester. How could any uni student get much hands on competence through their training this way right? And the most number of clinical days in the BNG curriculum in 3rd year(the final year) would be 30 days. And the worst bit is, in 3rd year, 90% of your grade is on assignments, with only a 10% emphasis on clinical. It seems as if the uni only cares for students who are good in writing assignments and maybe memorizing facts for exams, but not so much for those who function better in their hands-on approach.
Kathy
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
I think that there is an opportunity to really change our current situation, if we are bold enough. Health care costs are spiraling out of control, nurses HECS debts are getting higher each year and yet we are still not happy with the final product. We have essentially created a 4th year of nurse training "the grad" year which is terribly costly. Why? - to develop more clinical skills, time management and consolidate. We could change the system and have an "apprentice" model. Nurses could attend university for the first 12 months, they then are allocated to hospital/Health Service. They continue working within this health service for the next 2 years. eg 3 days a week working with clinical instructors support on the wards for 3 days a week and attend university either in blocks or 2 days per week. These nurse then get paid an apprentice wage. This has the opportunity to be a win-win model, however all parties would need to change their thinking. Universities, hospitals, unions and government. This is not the same as an intern model. This is not retrograde but melding two systems together to try to overcome the chasm that curently exists.
Student Nurse
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Yes, The system is very poor indeed, I don't know who it is designed to benefit. I feel not the Patient nor the Nurse. A system designed more to save costs than to produce confident and competent nurses, A total of 20 unpaid weeks exposure to a ward environment before graduation, A system that excludes mature learners and under prepares young students Shame on you....
Lorna
Friday, 6 July 2012
Thank you May for undertaking study in such an important area and giving voice to the very poeple who are involved. What a timely piece of research adding to a much needed debate. Well done!