The educational and practice tensions in preparing pre-registration nurses to become future health promoters : a small scale explorative study

Holt, M; Warne, T

Abstract

Over the past three decades health policy within the United Kingdom (UK) has consistently acknowledged the potential for nurses to contribute to the health of individuals and communities. The educational curricular of pre and post registration nursing programmes has responded to such health policies by placing greater emphasis on the role of the nurse in health promotion and ill health prevention.

Aim
This paper explores how pre-registration student nurses in one university experience the impact of these factors on their preparation for practice.

Design
This small scale explorative study used a convenience sample of second year pre-registration student nurses (n
=100) studying at one university. Data were collected via four focus groups, and from student evaluations of practice placement experiences and self-reported learning outcomes relating to health promotion practice.

Findings
The findings suggest a dichotomy between what is espoused in the underpinning theory of the curriculum and what the student nurses actually experience in practice. It highlights some of the difficulties that student nurses have in effecting the professional and policy objectives and argues if nurses are to turn health promotion rhetoric into reality then health promotion practice needs to be more effectively actualised.

Citation

Holt, M., & Warne, T. (2007). The educational and practice tensions in preparing pre-registration nurses to become future health promoters : a small scale explorative study. Nurse Education in Practice, 7(6), 373-380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2006.11.009

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 12, 2006
• Online Publication Date: Oct 1, 2020
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2007
• Deposit Date: Oct 5, 2020
• Journal: Nurse Education in Practice
• Print ISSN: 1471-5953
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 373-380
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2006.11.009
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2006.11.009
• Related Public URLs: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/nurse-education-in-practice/
• Additional Information: Additional Information : ** Article version: AM ** Embargo end date: 31-12-9999 ** From Elsevier via Jisc Publications Router ** Licence for AM version of this article: This article is under embargo with an end date yet to be finalised. **Journal IDs: issn 14715953 **History: issue date 30-11-2007; accepted 12-11-2006