Teaching nursing's history: a national survey of Australian Schools of Nursing, 2007-2008.
This paper reports on a survey of Australian Schools of Nursing that took place over an 8months period between 2007 and 2008. This study was implemented to extend understanding of effective teaching of nursing history, an area not previously researched in Australia. A critical interpretive method enabled us to problematise the issue, to highlight what was said about the importance of history teaching as well as ad hoc practices and barriers. The study found that participants value history of nursing teaching, but the crowded curriculum is erasing history's place and potential. It revealed ideological tensions shaping and constraining history of nursing teaching. In Australia, the way nursing's history is taught varies and teaching content, strategies and resources utilised are not evenly available. Pedagogical innovations are not effectively disseminated. Our recommendations for Australian Schools of Nursing that have more general applicability are: (1) Nursing curriculum needs to be developed from a set of principles and standards that define the attributes of the professional nurse, not in response to interest groups and (2) History of nursing pedagogy should be systematically developed and disseminated through a national virtual centre, linked to international centres, to enhance teachers' understanding of the discipline area and to support their teaching practice.
McAllister
Margaret
M
School of Health and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558, Australia. Mmcallis@usc.edu.au
Madsen
Wendy
W
Godden
Judith
J
Greenhill
Jennene
J
Reed
Rachel
R
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005181:Faculty, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006676:History of Nursing; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D013663:Teaching / Q000458:organization & administration*