My Role as a Student in Higher Education and My Role as a Future Health Care Practitioner
My role as a student in higher education and my role as a future health care practitioner.
Historically, how nurses are educated has changed dramatically. Long gone are the days of apprenticeship styled training programmes of the 18th century Florence Nightingale era, whereby nurses learnt all they needed to know by the bedside. Instead, present day nurses are required to be trained to high level in order to deliver research based practice and evidence-based healthcare in highly specialised settings. There is nothing more precious than a person’s life; therefore it is imperative that those who deliver care are competent and held accountable for their actions which in turn mean they need to have the ability to explain the reasons behind their actions (Watson, 2006). This is only truly achievable with the correct education, knowledge and the skills that higher level learning provides.
As nursing is now considered a profession, as a nursing student I have entered into both an academic programme and a professional career pathway. Therefore, I am answerable to two institutional bodies; firstly, to the University of West London (UWL, Student handbook, 2011-2012) who is providing me with the learning platform I need to be able to gain my degree in nursing and secondly to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), who set the pre-registration education standards and the Codes of professional conduct (NMC, 2008) that must be adhered to by trainee nurses in order to earn their place on the nursing register. Thus, for the purpose of this essay I will discuss some of the skills required within the modules of my course of study and how these link to my role as a future healthcare practitioner.
A compulsory element of our first year of study is the essential skills module. Its aim is to give us a good understanding of higher education, its relevance to health care whilst providing us with the tools to become independent learners. As undergraduates we are expected to take more
Historically, how nurses are educated has changed dramatically. Long gone are the days of apprenticeship styled training programmes of the 18th century Florence Nightingale era, whereby nurses learnt all they needed to know by the bedside. Instead, present day nurses are required to be trained to high level in order to deliver research based practice and evidence-based healthcare in highly specialised settings. There is nothing more precious than a person’s life; therefore it is imperative that those who deliver care are competent and held accountable for their actions which in turn mean they need to have the ability to explain the reasons behind their actions (Watson, 2006). This is only truly achievable with the correct education, knowledge and the skills that higher level learning provides.
As nursing is now considered a profession, as a nursing student I have entered into both an academic programme and a professional career pathway. Therefore, I am answerable to two institutional bodies; firstly, to the University of West London (UWL, Student handbook, 2011-2012) who is providing me with the learning platform I need to be able to gain my degree in nursing and secondly to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), who set the pre-registration education standards and the Codes of professional conduct (NMC, 2008) that must be adhered to by trainee nurses in order to earn their place on the nursing register. Thus, for the purpose of this essay I will discuss some of the skills required within the modules of my course of study and how these link to my role as a future healthcare practitioner.
A compulsory element of our first year of study is the essential skills module. Its aim is to give us a good understanding of higher education, its relevance to health care whilst providing us with the tools to become independent learners. As undergraduates we are expected to take more
References: Carter, C., Bishop, J., Bixby, M., & Kravits, S. L. (1999) Keys to study skills: Opening doors to learning. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Cowen, M., Maier, P., and Price, G. (2009) Study skills for nursing and healthcare students. England: Pearson Education Ltd. NMC (2008) The code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. [Online] Available at: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Documents/Standards/The-code-A4-20100406.pdf [Accessed: 10th December 2012] NMC (2011) Standards of pre-registration nursing education. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. [Online] Available at: http://standards.nmcuk.org/PublishedDocuments/Standards%20for%20preregistration%20nursing%20education%2016082010.pdf [Accessed: 10th December 2012] RCN (2010) The principles of Nursing Practice. London: The Royal College of Nursing. [Online] Available at: http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/practice/principles [Accessed; 10th December, 2012] UWL (2012) Module study guide: Essential skills for Higher Education and Health Care. London: University of West London. [Online] Available at: http://online.uwl.ac.uk/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_54938_1%26url%3D [Accessed: 10th December 2012] UWL (2012) Essential skills introduction power point. London: University of West London. [Online] Available at: http://online.uwl.ac.uk/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_54938_1%26url%3D [Accessed: 10th December 2012] UWL (2011) Student Handbook. London: University of West London [Online] Available at : http://online.uwl.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-1104817-dt-content-rid-863778_2/courses/NS40013X_17-SEP-12_20-JAN-13/student%27s%20main_handbook.pdf [Accessed:10th December 2012] Watson, R. (2006) Is there a role for higher education in preparing nurses? Nurse Education Today, 26, p.622-626