View from the Chair
Published: 14 November 2011
Carol Hall, Chair of the Education Forum Steering Committee, gives a roundup of recent events and future considerations.
Welcome to this edition of Edlines. Writing at this time is challenging: health care in England is facing unprecedented media criticism in the face of the CQC report and other related media stories and nobody is left unscathed – a difficult time to nurse in patient care practice, as a nurse manager, a specialist practitioner or as an educator.
As educators within the profession of nursing, wherever we may be, maintaining practical support must be a priority especially in this time of financial constraint – while recognising that education can offer the skills needed to support and develop workforce and provide the tools to create change in difficult times, as well as improve morale through investment in people.
For educators, it is also a busy time for many - the practical reality of the introduction of new graduate nurse curriculum is evident for early institutions in England, and there is also the intensive work of preparing for validation and approval for delivery of curriculum supporting the new NMC Standards across the UK.
In post-registration education, there is also the continuing challenge of supporting specialist education programmes for nursing in a difficult financial climate.
From a personal perspective, there is the additional burden for many of of considering pensions agreements and the prospect of industrial action.
Within the Education Forum there has been some change, due to forum appointments. I am pleased to welcome two new colleagues to the steering group: Dr Pauline Walsh from the University of Keele in England and Mrs Sandra Carruthers from Altnagevin Hospital in Northern Ireland.
The steering group is there to help you - they can work with you to ensure the RCN understands your education issues and helps the profession to truly enhance teaching and learning practice for nursing.
Do visit the website or contact us at education@rcn.org.uk if you would like to get involved and really enhance education for nursing – there are so many ways that you can!
Some of our projects this year include development of medicine administration and patient safety initiatives, continued work around the EU Recognition of Mutual Professional Qualifications and working with the RCN to review the document Nursing Education – A Statement of Principles (RCN 2003) (PDF 157KB) We will be seeking your advice around some of the emerging issues, so watch this space.
Finally, don’t forget the Education Forum Partners in Practice Conference in Harrogate on 23 and 24 February 2012. The programme will be circulated very soon and offers an exciting opportunity to catch up with the latest innovations for teaching and learning in nursing.
Carol Hall