Models of initial training and pathways to registration: a selective review of policy in professional regulation.
OBJECTIVE
To provide a synthesis of literature on international policy concerning professional regulation in nursing and midwifery, with reference to routes of entry into training and pathways to licensure.


BACKGROUND
Internationally, there is evidence of multiple points of entry into initial training, multiple divisions of the professional register and multiple pathways to licensure.


RESULTS
Policy documents and commentary articles concerned with models of initial training and pathways to licensure were reviewed. Item selection, quality appraisal and data extraction were undertaken and documentary analysis was performed on all retrieved texts.


RESULTS
Case studies of five Western countries indicate no single uniform system of routes of entry into initial training and no overall consensus regarding the optimal model of initial training.


CONCLUSIONS
Multiple regulatory systems, with multiple routes of entry into initial training and multiple pathways to licensure pose challenges, in terms of achieving commonly-agreed understandings of practice competence.


CONCLUSIONS
The variety of models of initial training present nursing managers with challenges in the recruitment and deployment of personnel trained in many different jurisdictions. Nursing managers need to consider the potential for considerable variation in competency repertoires among nurses trained in generic and specialist initial training models.
Fealy
Gerard M
GM
School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. gerard.fealy@ucd.ie
Carney
Marie
M
Drennan
Jonathan
J
Treacy
Margaret
M
Burke
Jacqueline
J
O'Connell
Dympna
D
Howley
Breeda
B
Clancy
Alison
A
McHugh
Aine
A
Patton
Declan
D
Sheerin
Fintan
F
D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005060:Europe; D033161:Government Regulation; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008008:Licensure, Nursing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017145:Models, Educational; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009520:New Zealand; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000458:organization & administration; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D010560:Personnel Selection; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D012042:Registries; D013041:Specialties, Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States