Future Journeys: Post Graduate Education in Nursing & Midwifery Professor Brian J Webster Assistant Dean, Faculty of Health Life Social Sciences Vice Chair Council of Deans of Health UK Chair Scottish Heads of Academic Nursing & Allied Health Professions

What this presentation is not This is not about elitism in the profession of nursing on midwifery “Academia has to remember that it is not self-serving but must relate meaningfully to the services of its discipline” (Bishop 2009) It’s not about a need for all nurses to have a Masters Degree It wont concentrate on the range of Post Graduate Education and the role Universities have to play It wont focus on old and outdated arguments – such as mastery, or a stepped approach to education (BN – practice – Masters – practice – PhD/Education/ Management

The need for post graduate prepared nurses in clinical practice The emphasis on discovering self, learning about self and the development of a range of attributes that inform practice, leadership, interventions The need for our disciplines to change the emphasis on our career pathways Global changes in learning beyond registration education at postgraduate level But what it will focus on is:

Nursing to Universities early 1990’s NHS and New Right politics – market forces Project 2000 – all academics having degrees Diploma preparation 2010 – All graduate preparation Future……….??? Historical perspectives

Recent years a plethora of policy responses to address the “crisis in nursing” – at the heart of many nurse education and the challenge of degree preparation Recently seen the “Shape of Caring” – a plethora of recommendations – which could pose challenges and change to our discipline “p” policy – at local and organisational level Policy perspective;

Global Perspectives USA – consideration of Doctoral preparation for Advanced Clinical Practice (seen this in physiotherapy in USA) Australia/New Zealand – changes to learning beyond registration in Masters and Doctoral programmes UK – pre registration Masters degrees

Patient Care New Knowledge Analytical Skills Leadership Skills Self development Learning Beyond Registration

Too much emphasis on organisational change – rather than the development of robust pathways producing leaders in clinical practice Achieving change v’s moving the profession forward How to lead – approaches to leadership ……………BUT Clinical Academic Leadership

At the heart of the goal of nursing leadership : Moving the discipline forward Strengthening the role of nursing interventions Improving outcomes and enhancing patient benefit Professional aspiration (Macleod Clark 2014) Reason to celebrate Early Clinical Career Fellowships The start of a journey a springboard to demonstration of a new approach to leadership in clinical practice Impact of nursing practice interventions on clinical outcomes or health benefits (Wong & Cummings 2007) Clinical Academic Leadership

Key to professional confidence (public confidence) lies in the pursuit of new knowledge The embedding of evidence based practice from scientific routes Clinical Professors – pinnacle of medical career 6% of medical workforce in UK are clinical academics (Medical Schools Council 2011) ….an Nursing - lacks an infrastructure, lacks funding, has been slow in career development and professional leadership RCN approximately 262 nursing Chairs in the UK, less than 40 in joint clinical academic roles = 0.02% workforce Learning from others:

We are where we are and we need to celebrate your achievements It also means there is room for further aspiration Discipline needs clinical academic leaders Discipline needs skilled, knowledgeable, motivated practitioners with a desire to advance new nursing knowledge and interventions – to radically benefit patient outcomes Discipline needs an infrastructure, funding and support So what does that mean for us?

You can move nursing and midwifery forward in a way that we have not seen before; progressing professional leadership, nursing interventions and utilising your new knowledge, skills and self awareness (Webster 2015) Finally

Bishop, V. (2009). “Health care research in context: global influences and individual aspirations”. Journal of Research in Nursing. 14, 99 – 101. Macleod Clark, J. (2014). ‘Guest editorial”. Journal of Research in Nursing. 19 (2) 98 – 101 Medical Schools Council (2011). A Survey of Staffing Levels of Medical Clinical Academics in UK Medical Schools. London. Medical Schools Council. Royal College of Nursing (2013). Available atwww.rcn.org.uk/development/research_andinnovation/career/nursing_professoriate_surve y_2013www.rcn.org.uk/development/research_andinnovation/career/nursing_professoriate_surve y_2013 Wong, C. and Cummings, G. (2007). “The relationship between nursing leadership and patient outcomes: A systematic review”. Journal of Nursing Management. 15, 508 – 521. References