Opening up pre-registration education for nurses (the OPEN Project): a partnership approach.
METHODS
Using a combination of focus groups and questionnaires, data were obtained from 20 health care assistants/pre-registration nursing students taking part in the OPEN Project, their 20 respective clinical mentors, three National Health Service Trust-based facilitators and three University Tutors. The aim was to evaluate development and delivery of the project by: Data were analysed using a combination of Framework Technique and descriptive statistics.


RESULTS
The three main emergent themes were: Personal, Professional and Organisational learning. Through a combination of predominantly work based learning, teaching and assessment methods, students were able to demonstrate how they transformed existing knowledge into a usable tool on which to build further learning, while challenging previous assumptions about practice arising from their health care assistant role. Familiarity with the workplace while in the dual role of student/health care assistant allowed them to explore practice issues and implement changes while also gaining the credit to step onto year two of the Diploma in Nursing Science/Registered Nurse Programme. The main recommendations related to the issues of role identity for the students and infrastructure development in the Trusts and informed further similar projects.
Swallow
Veronica M
VM
School of Health, Community and Education Studies, Northumbria University (NU), Coach Lane Campus (East), Coach Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7XA, United Kingdom. veronica.swallow@unn.ac.uk
Smith
Ann
A
Shiel
Gillian
G
Steele
Kathryn
K
Farrier
Stephen
S
Herring
Marie
M
Hickman
Margaret
M
D002322:Career Mobility; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003162:Competency-Based Education / Q000379:methods*; D004510:Education, Nursing, Diploma Programs / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D004739:England; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000639:trends; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008611:Mentors; D017145:Models, Educational; D009728:Nursing Assistants / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013222:State Medicine; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities