All new nurses must have degrees
Nursing in England is to become a degree-only profession accordingly to a latest report on government plans.
The Department of Health has made a decision following the Nursing and Midwifery Council ratification of proposals to make the profession an all-graduate profession in September 2008.
The decision is a “small but important step” says chief nursing officer for England Dame, Christine Bailey, speaking earlier on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. She said that it will provide nurses with the “real ability to make decisions” when care became more complex, adding “It’s not about moving nurses away from direct care,”
UNISON head of nursing, Gail Adams said during the programme that there are concerns that degree only entry would cause a slump in the diversity of backgrounds that nurses come from and thus the profession would become less representative of the society it cares for.
Peter Charter, chief exec for the Royal College of Nursing, said that this is an important and historic development that the RCN has supported for many years”, welcoming the move.
Anne Keen, Health Minister, said that nurses are the biggest sole profession within the healthcare industry and are pivotal in the provision of high quality healthcare. She added: “Degree-level education will provide new nurses with the decision-making skills they need to make high-level judgments in the transformed NHS.”
Anne says that this is the best way forward if the NHS are to fulfill the aim of providing a better quality of healthcare for all.
Matt Shetty understands the importance of working for a well known and ethically approved clinical research trials company, also known as a clinical research organisation, and recommends that care is taken when looking for work in the nursing sector.
Author’s comments: Whether this is a good step forward or not is arguable. Degree-level entry could mean a better quality of nursing professionals joining the industry, providing the necessary skills to make high-level decisions and good judgment in an ever-changing industry. However, this may limit the amount of promising candidates who are not able to follow the degree route for varied reasons such limited funding. This could in turn create a high demand for degree-qualified nurses in turn putting more pressure on the industry to deliver quality healthcare.
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* Consult your doctor before taking any medical advice!
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