The influence of educational theory on the development of nurse training to education in the United Kingdom

The development of nurse training to education from its historical apprenticeship-style approach to the current position of professional education through diploma-level programmes is discussed and the influence of education theory on nurse training over the years is explored.

Abstract

This paper discusses the development of nurse training to education from its historical apprenticeship-style approach to the current position of professional education through diploma-level programmes. The influence of education theory on nurse training over the years is explored. The slowness of the transition from training to education is shown to have been dependent on the view of what is considered as appropriate preparation for the role. Historically, one can see that it was expedient that preparation for the role began as training, and the development to education was thwarted by the lack of resources, the shortage of nurses, and the medical and political ideologies of the day. The implementation of Project 2000, with students being supernumerary to the workforce, and the programme being educationally led, created the need for the development of professional education from the traditional training model.