Why higher education for nurses? Issues and developments

The proportion of graduates in UK nursing remains small and seems likely to remain so unless major changes take place in the organisation of the tertiary education system.

Abstract

Developments in nursing education in the UK over the past half-century have responded closely to changes in the general educational system and in the position of women within it. In other countries nurse education has similarly evolved in relation to their particular structures of tertiary and professional education but the tendency to move progressively towards the higher education sector is world-wide. In the UK this movement began in the 1950s and an important pioneering role was played by Edinburgh University. However, the proportion of graduates in UK nursing remains small and seems likely to remain so unless major changes take place in the organisation of the tertiary education system.