Health
Studies and Nursing
Not
surprisingly, nursing and health care are becoming
more complex in response to current changes in society.
Similarly, as patients' expectations of health and
the provision of care increase, nursing is becoming
more research-oriented. Thus, the concept of androgogy,
or life-long learning, becomes crucial if care is
to be appropriate as well as effective. Although the
care provided by nurses invariably depends on the
individuals involved as well as the social and cultural
context, that care is only likely to be made more
relevant by the wider-ranging post-graduate education
of the provider.
Investment
in nursing education is immense in both organisational
as well as personal terms. The decision about the
educational experience and its setting is crucially
important to the person who is being educated, as
well as to the colleagues and population with whom
that nurse is working. The information about post-graduate
opportunities is easily available through the Internet,
as well as through more traditional channels. There
are, however, a number of questions that the intending
nurse should have in mind when considering which country
and which course would be the most beneficial.
If
a student is taking a course in a country other than
their own, that student is most likely to seek study
on a full-time basis. The issue of whether the course
is also undertaken by part-time students, however,
is still of interest to this person. If a course is
available to part-time students, there is likely to
be a greater heterogeneity among the nurses who are
on the course. Such a mix of students not only improves
the likelihood of social interaction, it also means
that students' nursing backgrounds will be more varied
and the learning opportunities will be enhanced.
In
a more academic sense, the institution offering the
course should be scrutinised. The research activity
of the teaching staff or faculty members indicates
the extent to which they are leaders in their field
of nursing knowledge. This research activity is easily
accessible through publications in authoritative nursing
journals, which may be viewed directly or accessed
through suitable nursing databases such as CINAHL,
BIDS, or Medline.
While
a student is likely to take a course at one institution,
that student may benefit from the presence of other
educational institutions in the vicinity, as local
people will be accustomed to, aware of and keen to
meet the needs of the visiting student. Their presence
will also offer social and informal educational events,
such as seminars and conferences, to which a range
of students who are nurses would be welcomed. While
studying at a recently established institution carries
some advantages, the nurse who is thinking of applying
for post-graduate study should consider whether an
institution and the courses offered have worked through
all of their 'teething troubles', which may affect
the quality of the learning experience.
The
person who is contemplating applying should also decide
whether the broad orientation of the institution is
likely to meet or be well-aligned with their own view
of nursing and health care. For example, a nurse who
is employed in a management capacity is likely to
seek a place in an institution where courses relevant
to management are available. Equally, the person whose
interest is in the social aspects of health would
seek to study at an institution with a social science
orientation. In the same way, someone studying in
another country would seek to ascertain, if not the
international application of courses, at least their
relevance to overseas settings.
A
factor, the importance of which should never be underestimated,
is the value of a personal recommendation of a course.
If a nurse colleague has taken a course and is prepared
to discuss its strengths, as well as any shortcomings,
this is a chance that should be grasped. In this way,
the application would be founded on more direct knowledge
of the course's local relevance.
For
the nurse who is contemplating post-graduate study
in another country, the choice is wide to the point
of bewildering. Choices apply not only to taught courses
and research degrees, but also the institutions that
offer them. The information to assist the search for
a suitable course of study is available from traditional
as well as more innovative sources. Invariably, though,
the staff or faculty who organise courses are keen
to share the information about the courses on offer,
and to assist the nurse in making a sound decision,
which is in the interests of all concerned. Post-graduate
advisors are happy to be contacted by letter, phone,
fax or email.
Author
Dr. Rosemary Mander
Senior Lecturer, Department of Nursing Studies
University of Edinburgh
