title: 'Ready to hit the ground running': Alumni and employer accounts of a unique part-time distance learning pre-registration nurse education programme.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study explored the impact of The Open University's (OU) preregistration nursing programme on students' employability, career progression and its contribution to developing the nursing workforce across the United Kingdom. Designed for healthcare support workers who are sponsored by their employers, the programme is the only part-time supported open/distance learning programme in the UK leading to registration as a nurse. The international literature reveals that relatively little is known about the impact of previous experience as a healthcare support worker on the experience of transition, employability skills and career progression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify alumni and employer views of the perceived impact of the programme on employability, career progression and workforce development.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative design using telephone interviews which were digitally recorded, and transcribed verbatim prior to content analysis to identify recurrent themes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three geographical areas across the UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  Alumni (n=17) and employers (n=7). Inclusion criterion for alumni was a minimum of two years' post-qualifying experience. Inclusion criteria for employers were those that had responsibility for sponsoring students on the programme and employing them as newly qualified nurses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four overarching themes were identified: transition, expectations, learning for and in practice, and flexibility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alumni and employers were of the view that the programme equipped them well to meet the competencies and expectations of being a newly qualified nurse. It provided employers with a flexible route to growing their own workforce and alumni the opportunity to achieve their ambition of becoming a qualified nurse when other more conventional routes would not have been open to them. Some of them had already demonstrated career progression. Generalising results requires caution due to the small, self-selecting sample but findings suggest that a widening participation model of pre-registration nurse education for employed healthcare support workers more than adequately prepares them for the realities of professional practice.
authors.affiliation: The Open University, Faculty of Health & Social Care, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom. Electronic address: jan.draper@open.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Draper
authors.affiliation: The Open University, Faculty of Health & Social Care, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beretta
authors.affiliation: The Open University, Faculty of Health & Social Care, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kenward
authors.affiliation: The Open University, Faculty of Health & Social Care, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McDonagh
authors.affiliation: The Open University, Faculty of Health & Social Care, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Messenger
authors.affiliation: The Open University, Faculty of Health & Social Care, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rounce
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D020375:Education, Distance; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009728:Nursing Assistants / Q000193:education*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013192:Staff Development; D013338:Students, Nursing; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Career development; Employability; Fitness to practise; Partnership; Workforce development