Aspects of curriculum policy in preregistration nursing education in the Republic of Ireland: issues and reflections

Aspects of curriculum policy in preregistration nursing education in the Republic of Ireland: issues and reflections Aims. This paper sets out to examine critically aspects of curriculum policy related to preregistration nursing education in the Republic of Ireland. Background. Following a period of industrial unrest concerned with pay, promotional opportunities and conditions of employment amongst nurses and midwives in the Republic of Ireland, a Commission on Nursing was established in March 1997. Along with a series on recommendations pertaining to the role and the professional development of nurses and midwives, the final report of the Commission on Nursing contained recommendations on the educational preparation of nurses. Specifically, the Commission recommended that the future framework for preregistration nursing education in the Republic of Ireland be based on a 4-year degree programme, fully integrated into higher education. As a means of giving effect to this recommendation, the Commission also recommended the establishment of a Nursing Education Forum, whose task it was to develop a strategic framework for the introduction of the proposed preregistration nursing degree programme. The Forum published its final report in October 2000 and this report constituted the most explicit statement of official policy on the nursing curriculum in the Republic of Ireland. Design. The paper constitutes a critical analysis of selected aspects of the report of the Nursing Education Forum, in the light of scholarly literature on curriculum philosophy and curriculum policy. Summary of content. The paper considers some of the implications for curriculum development and design arising out of the recommendations of the Nursing Education Forum. Among a list of core principles underpinning curriculum regulation and design, the report included the principle of ‘eclecticism’. The paper considers this principle with reference to nursing epistemology, pedagogical... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Journal of Advanced Nursing is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)