Quality assurance for nursing and midwifery education: an analysis of the approach in England

Stressors of dual-qualification nursing teachers in the ChengDu-ChongQing economic zone of China--a qualitative study

Nursing and teaching are considered risk professions with high levels of stress and burnout. Dual-qualification nursing teachers (DQNT) are nurses who both teach and practise. These nurses face additional stress. This study explored the stressors of DQNT in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone of China. This qualitative study used in-depth, open-ended interviews. The interview responses were analysed using a grounded theory approach. The participants in this study included 21 DQNT from 5 teaching hospitals in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone of China. The results indicated that heavy workload, personal safety, inadequate pay, role overload, and poor working environment are stressors of DQNT. Furthermore, Chinese DQNT face violence from patients and students. The study provides a theoretical basis to help DQNT to cope with stress.

Job satisfaction of nurse teachers: a literature review. Part I: Measurement, levels and components

Job satisfaction among nurses is of concern throughout the world but the satisfaction of nurse teachers has received less attention and no review of global research on the topic has been published. A comprehensive literature review (1976-2007) was undertaken from an international perspective (n=26 papers and 4 doctoral abstracts) to examine the state of knowledge about nurse teachers' job satisfaction over time. Coverage over the last 30 years was selected to examine if the level and contributing factors to nurse teachers' job satisfaction have changed during a time which has seen considerable developments and reorganization of nurse education as well as the role of nurse teachers. The purpose of this Part I paper is to: (i) review the different measurements of job satisfaction, (ii) report the job satisfaction levels of nurse teachers and, (iii) identify the components of job satisfaction of nurse teachers. This paper provides the foundation for the Part II paper which reviews the literature regarding the effects and related factors of nurse teachers' job satisfaction.

Nurse education--the role of the nurse teacher

AIM

To explore and analyse the role of the nurse teacher.

BACKGROUND

This paper examines the issue of clinical credibility among nurse teachers which has been ongoing for over a decade. The move of nurse education from colleges of nursing to the Higher Education Institutes was seen in 1992. Since then, nurse teachers have been faced with the need to juggle the roles of teaching, administration, research and clinical support for students. Nursing students within these Higher Education Institutes require more than the traditional theoretical classroom teaching. Nurse teachers have a role beyond this in encouraging students to link theory with practice, and practice with theory. Therein lies a challenge for nurse teachers to ensure they remain credible within the clinical setting and continue to provide education and support, which is firmly grounded in both practice and theory.

METHOD

The authors have critically reviewed the evidence related to the role of the nurse teacher in an attempt to identify key concepts and ideas, assumptions, supporting examples and the implications for their role.

CONCLUSION

The role of the nurse teacher, it would appear, is a dynamic one that needs to engage actively the needs of the student. Nurses therefore need to be dynamic in their approach in order to respond to both local and global demands and ensure that students become competent, professional, knowledgeable and caring in their approach.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This paper demonstrates the complex and ever changing role of the nurse teacher. This paper attempts to help nurse teachers understand the complex nature of their role.

Quality assurance in UK nursing education: public protection in the era of streamlined assessment

This paper describes recent reforms of quality assurance (QA) for the education of nurses, midwives and health visitors and reports qualitative findings from a study of how they are working out in practice. This study reported whether the stakeholders consider the system to be adequate for the principal aim of public protection. Using a postal survey and interviews, QA in nursing, midwifery and health visiting is compared and contrasted in the four countries of the United Kingdom. Issues of subjectivity versus objectivity in decision making over QA of nursing, midwifery and health visiting education and the extent to which these processes are rigorous arose. There is an inverse relationship between the number of higher education institutions in a country and the extent to which nursing, midwifery and health visiting QA personnel, responsible for conducting QA events, become involved with those institutions in offering advice and support. Generally speaking, where the changes have been greatest, satisfaction with the QA processes is lowest. Dissatisfaction was only expressed with processes and most likely arose from resistance to change but these are early days in the operation of the new QA procedures.